Ali: Troubled Times
by Ali Wenstern
Summary: Ali and Devon get into another fight when Devon's human emotions once again get in the way during a hunt. Devon decides it would be best if he just left for a while and Ali agrees. But when the 'Hunters' capture Ali, the only one who can save her is Devon
1. Daydreaming

_The swing let out a creak as the boy sitting in hit pushed himself back and forth. He sat alone, his eyes sad and downcast, while the other children ran around, chasing after a shiny red ball in the wide space. _Every now and again, they would pause and glance over at him warily, as if they expected him to attack at any moment. _On the rare occasion that the ball would roll by the swing set a collective gasp would fill the air and the children would stop playing. They would spend a few seconds with their heads together before sending a reluctant child after it. The child would retrieve the ball as fast as he or she could, refusing to make eye contact with him. He had tried several times to join in their games, but they would stop and stare at him until he returned to his swing. And when he stood up to leave, they froze, eyes growing wide, and they remained that way until he left the room._

* * *

><p>"<em>Come out you worthless shit!"<em>

_The boy shied away from the angry man, retreating into the darkest corner of his room. But that only made the man angrier as he grabbed the boy by the hair and dragged him out into the living room._

"_You're a piece of filth, you know that?" the man shouted, tossing the boy onto the floor._

"_I'm sorry, Daddy," the little boy murmured._

"_Sorry? Sorry doesn't bring your mother back, you scumbag."_

"_Don't hit me," the boy begged._

_The man laughed. "You don't want me to hit you? Well, there's a nice thought."_

_The little boy started to cry as the man continued to laugh. His cry quickly turned to one of pain as the man drilled the tip of his boot into the boy's stomach._

"_What does it matter if I beat you senseless?" the man asked, kicking the boy again, "Your injuries always heal within a day. Nobody asks questions about the bruises they never see, why should you worry?"_

_The boy wanted to tell the man that he felt unloved and unwanted every time his father took his anger out on him, but he knew that would make the beatings worse, so he closed his eyes and tried not to cry has is father's fists started raining down on him._

* * *

><p>"<em>Come on out, you little brat, Daddy wants to play."<em>

_The boy once again hid in his corner, trying to blend in with the wall behind him. He knew that his hiding wouldn't protect him and that soon his father would find him hiding in the closet and the beatings would start up again. He knew that, once again, no one would know what was happening. He also knew that no one would care._

_The closet door flew open and the boy shrank back. Something glinted in his father's hand and on closer inspection the boy realized that it was a knife._

"_No, Daddy," the boy murmured._

"_Oh yes," his father replied with a maniacal grin._

_The knife arched high in the sky before being swung down. The boy cried out and threw up his arms to protect himself. The blade slashed across his wrists, leaving deep gashes, causing him to scream and clutch his wrists to his chest. His father stated laughing and he raised the knife again. But the boy was no longer looking at his father; he was looking at his blood. It was the first time he had ever seen it flowing; his father had always been careful not to break the skin to avoid leaving any scars. As the blood ran down his wrists and dripped onto the ground, thin trails of smoke rose up and the ground began to burn away._

_The boy then lifted his eyes slowly to his father. He wanted to do it, more than anything, he wanted to fight back, but he was scared. Even though his father was mean to him, he at least had a home and a bed to sleep in. What would happen if his father were dead? What would happen to him then? He didn't have time to think as his father raised the blade once again. The boy lifted his arms quickly, momentarily forgetting about his bloody wrists, and a few drops of blood flew off his wrists and hit his father on the chest._

_His father screamed and jerked back as the spot where the drops landed started sizzling. He tried to pull his shirt off, but it was too late, the blood had begun to eat away at his flesh. He panicked and backed up further, but couldn't hold his footing and fell. The hand with the knife went out behind him as he tried to break his fall. He gave a chocked gasp as the point of the knife went up through his back, then he lay still. The boy moved forward._

"_Daddy?" he asked._

_He placed his hand on his father's chest where the blood was pumping out. He heard the sound of hurried footsteps, his father's screaming must have been heard. He looked up as the door flew open and two men ran in…_

* * *

><p>"Devon!"<p>

Devon blinked, the sound of Ali's angry voice snapping him back to reality. He looked out from his hiding place to see a young girl running toward him. He had done it again; he had drifted off in thought instead of watching for the victim Ali was leading toward him. He quickly stepped out in front of the young girl's path just as she came up alongside his hiding spot. The girl screamed and tried to spin past him, but Devon's arm whipped out and wrapped around the girl's shoulder, holding her tight.

"Great job," Ali said sarcastically, jogging to a stop by Devon's side, "She almost got away. Just like the other two on our last two hunts."

Devon was unable to answer Ali as he had to focus on holding on to the struggling girl. Ali rolled her eyes.

"Give her to me," Ali said and ripped the girl out of Devon's arms, wrapping her arm around the girl's throat, holding her tight.

"What's with you?" Ali asked.

"Nothing," Devon said, looking into Ali's eyes.

Ali squinted, meeting his gaze, before huffing and turning around, dragging the girl alongside her.


	2. Separate Ways

Devon was forced to deal with Ali's steely gaze all the way back to the Hive. She didn't say anything, which Devon actually found more disconcerting, her silence meant she was working something out in her head, probably something that would make him miserable. Although he had to give her credit, she was managing to hold her intense scare while hanging on to the girl, who was struggling and kicking and screaming. She was even able to evade all of the girl's defense attempts without even looking.

Finally, they reached the wrecked orphanage that housed the Hive and entered through what remained of the door frame. The girl in Ali's arm had gone still when they entered and she looked around the rooms in shock. Her eyes grew wide and she actually gripped on to Ali's arms as they moved in and out of shadows. She started moaning and whimpering as Devon and Ali came up to the door leading to the basement. Devon went down first.

"Tell me!" Ali demanded suddenly.

Devon jumped at the sudden ring of Ali's voice; he had been getting used to (and enjoying) the silent treatment. However, he knew what was coming and quickly rushed down the rest of the stairs. The lounging aliens lifted their heads, some yawning and stretching like cats, and watched as the fight began to unfold.

"Where do you think you're going?" Ali shouted after Devon.

The moment she had stepped off the last step, she threw the girl to the ground. The girl cried out and tried to scramble back up the stairs, but didn't make it far and was caught by two aliens. They dragged her, kicking and screaming, away from the stairs and toward the wall.

"Just leave me alone!" Devon retorted.

"No!"

"It's none of your business!"

"It is so my business, because your daydreaming is affecting the hunts. Last week I had to chase that boy for almost a mile before I finally caught up to him because you were off in fantasy land."

"Well, you can't make me tell you, so just drop it."

Ali smirked. "You wanna bet? Oh Emery?" She said the last two words in a sweet, sing-song voice that could never be good.

Emery turned her head toward Ali. She hadn't moved or made a sound when Devon and Ali had first returned and had tried to stay out of their argument, but she couldn't ignore Ali once she called. _Yes?_

"What was Devon thinking about during our hunt?" Ali asked smugly.

"Emery, please, don't!" Devon begged.

_I am sorry, little one, you know I cannot ignore her._

"No, please!"

"Well?" Ali asked.

Emery hesitated. _He was thinking about his past, again._

Ali glared at Devon.

"Don't look at me like that!"

"I thought we talked about this. You can't keep thinking about how horrible your life was as a child, you'll never get over it!"

"You're acting like my mom right now, but in case you've forgotten, my mom's dead!"

"Well guess what? My mom's dead too, in case _you've_ forgotten that she died the same way yours did. At least you were lucky enough to have had some family, I was born without a father!"

"I don't consider my father beating me to be lucky," Devon replied, "Besides, you always had the aliens with you, I had no one until you found me."

"I'm starting to regret finding you in the first place!"

Their voices had begun rising the longer they argued back and forth. The aliens were growing fidgety, they never liked it when Ali and Devon fought.

"Yeah? Well _I'm_ starting to regret coming with you in the first place. I would rather be on my own than spending my life watching you get your kicks out of hurting other people."

"This is pay back for what those damn terraformers did to me!"

"These people aren't the terraformers! The people that neglected you have been dead for more than two hundred years!"

"Humans are humans!"

Devon didn't reply immediately as Ali's last shout continued echoing off the Hive walls. Then, he said in a low voice, "You know, one of these days, all of this is going to come back at you and you are going to feel the same fear and pain you put your victims through."

He knew that that statement would anger Ali, which is why he said it, but he didn't expect her to react the way she did. One moment, she was looking at him with dark eyes, and the next, she was crashing into him, her long nails raking across his chest.

Devon cried out and tried to throw Ali off him, but she was faster and she quickly pinned his arms above his head. She looked down at him, her eyes wild with fury and her mouth set in a small snarl. He had never before seen her like this, least of all having it directed at him. Her nails dug into his flesh as he struggled to pull his hands free. He could feel blood flowing from his wrists and he was suddenly terrified; Ali was going to kill him! She lifted one of her hands, her other hand holding both of his wrists in a tight grip, and raised it high, ready to strike down at Devon's exposed chest.

But, suddenly, her head flew back and she cried out in pain. She fell off of Devon and curled up into the fetal-position on the ground, her hands digging into her head. Her eyes were squeezed shut and her mouth was in a small, tight line, as she writhed in pain. Devon raised his eyes toward Emery, and found her baring her teeth. He caught a slight wave of her anger and it stunned him a bit; he had never seen her so angry before. He never even knew she could do this to them.

"Stop it," he begged as Ali began whimpering in pain.

Emery's gaze snapped to him and he took a step back in shock, afraid that she would attack him next. But, rather, she relaxed completely and released all her anger, stopping Ali's spasm.

Ali lay on the ground for several seconds, breathing heavily and trembling slightly, before releasing her head and sitting up.

_I am sorry I overreacted,_ Emery said, _I should not have done that to you._

"I think you should go," Ali said, her voice dark and low.

"You're kicking me out again?" Devon asked.

Ali didn't respond. Devon looked up at Emery, she met his gaze, but didn't say anything. She was giving clear signs that she wanted them to figure it out on their own.

"You know, you may be right," Devon said.

Ali and Emery both looked at Devon in surprise.

"What?" Devon inquired.

"You're actually agreeing with me?" Ali asked.

"I think I may need a little space and I know you could use a little space from me too."

_I do not like it. I do not think you will ever fix the problem if you keep running away from it,_ Emery said.

Ali continued to regard Devon in shock; his words still sinking in. Her eyes flickered down to the gouges in Devon's chest and wrists. Looking at them, she felt only slight guilt over losing her temper and attacking Devon, but would never admit to it or apologize.

"Fine," she finally said, "Then what are you waiting for?"

Devon gestured over to the girl they had just caught. The resin surrounding her had already hardened, but she had yet to be impregnated by a second stage. "I want to take her with me."

"Why? Is she going to be your new girlfriend?" Ali sneered.

Devon glowered. "You're still mad at me, I can see it, and I don't want you taking it out on her."

Ali glared at him, but her expression changed and she flashed a dark grin. "Take her."

Devon moved forward slowly, wary of Ali's change of expression. When he was within two feet of the girl, an egg suddenly blossomed open and a second stage began crawling out.

"No!" he cried, but he was too late, the second stage jumped and landed on the girl's face. Her muffled cries didn't last long as she was smothered into unconsciousness.

Growling, Devon pivoted and glared at Ali. She met his gaze with a small smirk.

"Why?" he demanded.

Ali shrugged her shoulders, as if it was no big deal. "I can't control the second stages."

"But you knew it was going to happen!"

"So? I didn't want you getting lonely on your own."

"The whole point of taking her with me was so that you couldn't do something like this."

Ali shrugged again. "Too bad, you wanted to take her, you still have to take her."

Devon glared at Ali, debating what to do. He finally came to the conclusion that if he took the girl now, she would be spared Ali's verbal torture before her death. He walked over to the girl and ripped away the resin, catching her as she fell forward. The second stage pulsed on her face and Devon had to fight the urge to rip it off. He rose smoothly to his feet, the girl hanging limply in his arms, and brushed past Ali as he walked to the stairs. Her head was down, her hair falling into her eyes and obscuring her face, making it hard to read her thoughts, but a second later, he passed her. He walked up the creaking stairs and disappeared through the door.


	3. Alone

The moment Devon stepped out of the orphanage and into the streets with the beginnings of dawn staining the sky bright red, he started mentally kicking himself. He couldn't believe what he had just done, leaving Ali was probably the worst mistake of his life. Survival on the surface world was difficult and challenging. Sure, he had lived on his own when he had been banished, but even then he had struggled from day to day. The world around him was brown and barren.

"I'm such an idiot!" he murmured to himself.

He knew it was foolish to fight with Ali, especially since her tempter wasn't to be trifled with. However, it seemed that lately she was always finding faults with everything he did and intentionally looking for ways to fight. Unfortunately, the fights were leaving him confused and conflicted; if Ali really did care about him, why was she always treating him this way? He desperately wanted to turn around and reenter the Hive, but he knew Ali would never let him live it down. So, squaring his shoulders and readjusting the girl in his arms, he picked a direction and started walking.

He wandered aimlessly for what seemed like hours with no real destination in mind. The second stage had fallen off and died shortly after he had started walking, but the girl had yet to regain consciousness. Devon had already made the decision to come to a stop whenever the girl finally woke up. A soft groan caused him to look down. The girl's eyes were fluttering as she started regaining consciousness.

"Hey," Devon said softly, so as to not startle her.

The girl opened her eyes and looked around for a few seconds, blinking rapidly before realization hit her. She started screaming and kicking and Devon had to struggle to maintain a grip on her.

"Whoa, calm down," he said, but the girl was in too much a panic to listen.

Devon cursed as the girl landed a punch in his throat, causing him to drop her. She took off the second her feet hit the ground, leaving Devon coughing and trying to catch his breath. She didn't get far before he recovered enough to give chase. She screamed when he easily caught up with her and latched onto her arm. She tried to lash out with her free hand, but Devon quickly restrained that one as well.

"Let me go!" she screamed hysterically.

"It's okay, I'm not going to hurt you," Devon said.

The girl started screaming at the top of her lungs, as if hoping someone would hear her and come to her rescue, but there was no one above ground, no one would hear her cries. Her scream became a choked gasp and she started to stagger. Devon released her and she immediately clutched her chest, falling to her knees, as she continued to choke and gasp.

"What did you do to me?" she asked in a hoarse whisper when the chocking subsided.

Devon hesitated. "You were impregnated by a second stage, or facehugger, as I've heard your kind mention them."

"Facehuggers," the girl said, as if she had to hear the word for herself.

"They're part of the reason you exist underground."

"I know the stories, we all do. Our parents tell them as bed time stories, meant to frighten us into staying away from the city limits. But they were just stories, right?"

The girl looked up at Devon and he found himself staring into a wide pair of startling green eyes. Unfortunately, their beauty was marred by the stifling fear and he couldn't help but feel sorry for her. A hand was on her chest, as if she was greatly pained there, and she looked at Devon pleadingly, as if begging him to tell her she was wrong.

"I'm sorry."

The girl lowered her gaze downward and her hands fell limply to her sides. Devon stood over her, watching her for several seconds, unsure exactly what to do. Finally, he sighed and bent down, gently easing the girl to her feet. She didn't protest, all the life seemed to have left her body, and she allowed Devon to escort her to one of the less rundown buildings.

Upon entering the building Devon was able to put together that it had been a convenience store of some kind. There were rows of empty shelving and several freezers along the wall. A thick coating of dust covered the shelves and countertops while a layer of dirt covered the floor.

"What's your name?" Devon asked after he had sat the girl down on a rusty looking chair sitting behind the checkout counter.

"Suzie," the girl answered, not seeming to care about the condition of the chair.

"I'm Devon," Devon replied.

Suzie looked up and Devon once again found himself staring into those green eyes. "I'm scared," she whispered.

Devon didn't want to scare her, but he thought it was better to warn her about her fate. "How much do they tell you in the stories?"

"They say that there are monsters who live on the surface world and that their young grow inside of us. They warn us that if we have a baby monster inside of us that we will eventually die."

"Yeah, that's pretty much it. I don't want to scare you, but I you need to know exactly what's going to happen. In a couple of hours, maybe less, the baby monster is going to start eating its way out of your chest. It's going to be very painful as it breaks through your ribcage. And then you are going to die."

Suzie's eyes got wider, if it was even possible, and tears started falling down her face. "What did I do?"

"What?" Devon asked, surprised by the question.

"Did I do something wrong? Why was I targeted like this?"

"It's not your fault," Devon said, "You were just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Ali takes particular care to pick her victims a certain way. She likes to play with them before killing them so she looks for the ones she thinks will scream and beg for their life. It makes it fun for her."

The tears stopped and Suzie's mouth formed a hard line. "She was the one who started chasing me."

"Yeah," Devon agreed.

"And you were the one who caught me."

"For the record, I never like hunting with her, I know what happens to the people we catch and she takes her time when leading them toward me, she likes to make me wait," Devon said, "In reality, she tortures me as much as she does her victims."

Suzie suddenly sat straight up. "Then I'm not going to give her the satisfaction," she said in a steady voice, "When you go back to her, you can tell her that I didn't scream and that I didn't cry when I died. See how she likes that!"

Devon had to admit, he was impressed by Suzie's courage, but he doubted that she would be feeling that way when the third stage began punching at her ribcage. He had been watching people die for many years now. He had seen what would happen when Ali began verbally torturing them; they would insist that they would never give her the satisfaction and that they would die silently just to spite her. But in all the times Devon had witnessed people dying, only two made it through without screaming. As much as he respected Suzie's strength, he knew what would eventually happen.

But, "I'll tell her," was all he could say.


	4. The Hunters Arrive

Devon covered his ears and squeezed his eyes shut tight, rocking himself back and forth, trying unsuccessfully to get the sound of Suzie's screams out of his head. She was off to the side, curled in a ball of agony and clutching her chest. She had actually fared better than Devon would have thought and had remained silent for the first few minutes, but that was just when the chestburster was pushing against her ribcage. Now that it was slamming against her ribs and using its teeth to tear its way out she wasn't able to hold back any longer and she had started screaming.

"Kill me!" Suzie screamed for the fifth time.

"Don't have to," Devon mumbled.

A growing red stain slowly seeped across the front of Suzie's shirt and when she caught sight of it she started screaming louder. Her yelling was interrupted by the sound of cracking bones and Devon knew it was almost over. There was another cracking sound as Suzie's chest gave a spasm. Suzie screamed and arched her back a final time as a fountain of blood sputtered up from the sudden hole in her chest. Her screams were replaced by the cries of the chestburster now struggling to pull itself free from the lifeless Suzie. Devon sighed and rose shakily to his feet, walking over to the newborn.

"Welcome to the world," Devon said cynically.

The chestburster glanced up at Devon when he spoke, its cries quieting down into soft coos. Devon was forced a sigh as he looked down at the pink creature, he shouldn't be mad at it, this whole thing was Ali's fault.

"You're probably hungry," Devon said.

The chestburster cried softly in response and pulled itself completely out of Suzie's body before turning back to her. Devon couldn't watch as the chestburster began to dig in and tried turning away, but that didn't get rid of the sounds of the tearing and crunching as the chestburster tore into Suzie's flesh.

It never failed, even when she was no longer around, Ali always won.

* * *

><p>The aliens walked in circles with their heads close to the ground, similar to hound dogs, before trotting back to Ali's side, shaking their heads. They fidgeted, disappointed with themselves for being unable to complete their task. Ali forced a sigh, she was trying her hardest to find Devon, but obviously he didn't want to be found.<p>

_Keep looking!_ Emery snapped.

"_Why can't you just accept the fact he needs more time alone?"_

_The two of you will never work out your problems if you keep running away from them!_

"_Then why don't you just contact him or just pry his mind and find out where he is."_

_I cannot get into his mind._

Ali sighed and continued the trek forward. It had been two weeks since Devon left the Hive and Emery was getting worried. She seemed convinced that the reason she couldn't hear Devon's thoughts was because he was in trouble, forgetting the fact that Ali had resorted to a similar tactic to keep Aisha out.

"Come on," Ali said to the aliens.

They moved ahead of her again to cover more ground, their heads moving low over the ground and then shooting high to the sky and then repeating the process. No matter where they scanned, however, they were unable to pick up any scrap of Devon's scent. They grew more and more frustrated as they were still unable to track Devon, and started running ahead of Ali, zipping back and forth, desperate to find something.

Feeling bad and unable to watch them any longer, Ali called out to them, "We'll continue searching for him tomorrow."

The aliens turned, still upset, and began walking back to Ali. Before they could reach her, however, a blast came from out of nowhere, catching the three of them off guard. Ali went flying several feet before slamming into the ground, but she jumped up a few seconds later and looked around for the attacker. The aliens, having been thrown as well, recovered quickly and moved closer to Ali, hissing as they searched for the source of the explosion. But the street was empty. Suddenly, the aliens screeched and jumped aside. Ali followed them without hesitating and the spot where they had been standing exploded. This time, Ali had been able to see the projectile that caused the explosion, her gaze zeroing in on a crouched figure atop a nearby building.

"There!" she cried, pointing.

She and the aliens moved together toward their attacker. Realizing it had been spotted the figure stood up to its full height and waited for them to come. Ali was taken aback as they neared, she had thought the attacker was human, but it was much too large.

The creature let out a series of strange clicks and two blades suddenly extended on a device on its wrist. The aliens hissed uneasily and came to a halt.

_Ali?_ Emery's voice sounded a few seconds later. Ali picked up on the panic in her Queen's voice.

"_What is that thing?"_

Emery's voice shook, _An ancient enemy. They have been hunting our kind since the beginning of time._

"_How would you know something like that?"_

_All aliens know of the Hunters. Their image and smell are permanently embedded in our brains._

Ali looked up at the Hunter. Its face was concealed by a metal mask. It wore little other armor, save for a protective chest plate.

"Doesn't seem too tough," Ali said aloud.

_Ali! No! _Emery commanded, sensing Ali's intentions.

Ali ignored the Queen and broke into a run. The aliens hissed, but they ran when Ali did, sticking close by. The Hunter jumped from its perch and landed heavily on the ground. It waited until she had gotten close before swinging its arm upwards, but that was what Ali had been hoping for. She ducked under its arm and jabbed her nails into the unprotected flesh. The Hunter howled and swatted at Ali, managing to graze the side of her head. While it was focused on her, the two aliens launched a double attack, their claws racking down the Hunter's back. It roared again and spun to face the two aliens, but still monitoring Ali. Bright green blood flowed freely from its wounds, but it hardly minded them.

What happened next surprised Ali and the aliens. The Hunter made a swift grab for a disk on the belt around its waist while, at the same time, zeroed its shoulder cannon on the aliens. The disk, now extended into a large shuriken, hurled towards Ali while the cannon fired two shots at the aliens. Ali had been distracted by the cannon's blast that she reacted slowly as the spinning blades whirled toward her. She tried twisting her body, but it was too late, the blades bit deep into her shoulder as it whizzed past. The pain sent her to her knees and she clutched the wound tightly. She looked for the aliens, but couldn't locate them as the Hunter stepped toward her. However, before it could attack, it stopped in its tracks, its gaze on the ground. Ali heard the sound of sizzling and knew instantly what the Hunter was staring at. She looked down and anyway to see that she had bled all over the ground and it was smoking and hissing. The Hunter moved its gaze back to Ali and let out a series of clicks as it studied her.

"What are you waiting for?" Ali asked in a low growl.

The Hunger growled and took two steps forward before flying to the side. Ali watched in shock as an alien pounced on the fallen hunter, hissing furiously. A large gash ran down his back, but other than that, he looked fine. He clawed feverishly at the Hunter, who tried to shake him off. While it was distracted, Ali made her move. She grabbed the disk that had hit her, noting that her blood hadn't affected it. She sent it whizzing toward the Hunter, but it saw it coming and dodged at the last second. It managed to shake the alien loose from its back, who immediately ran to Ali's side. Offering his back to her, Ali realized she had no choice. She scrambled on and held tight as he jumped and began scaling a building, dodging the series of blasts sent his way.


	5. Lights Out

Ali clutched her shoulder, gasping as she fought back the pain. The alien by her side hissed with worry and rubbed his head against her good arm.

"I'm going to be fine," Ali said.

She felt something warm trailing down her chin and she subconsciously brushed at it. When she pulled her hand back she was shocked to see blood. That hit she took must have been more serious than she thought. The alien hissed again with more worry.

_Ali?_

"_I'm okay. He's just overreacting."_

_Than why am I seeing your mind clouded with pain?_

"_It's nothing!"_

_I am worried about you._

"_I'll be fine."_

_You cannot fight these Hunters on your own!_

Ali rolled her eyes. She looked around at the small hold up that she and the alien had taken shelter in. So far, there was only one known way in, and they were both facing it, ready for when the Hunter arrived.

"_I'll be fine,"_ she repeated.

_Be careful._

Ali didn't have a chance to answer as a loud explosion erupted, showering Ali with debris. She rocketed to her feet in an instant, the alien following suit and taking a defensive position in front of her. They were unable to see clearly for a while as the dust cloud hung in the air. Just as the dust was beginning to settle, the alien went rigid, letting out a choked cry. Without warning, dull yellow blood splattered across Ali's face as a sharp spear protruded from the alien's back.

"No!" Ali screamed as the alien dropped dead, revealing the large, burly Hunter in front of it.

She could only watch as the Hunter then yanked its spear out of the body of her alien companion. The Hunter turned its gaze to her and she felt herself rooted to the spot. It regarded her carefully, taking in the wound on her shoulder, the ground sizzling at her feet, the yellow blood running down her face, and the dead alien at its feet. It let out a series of ominous clicking noises and took two steps forward.

Something snapped Ali out of her trance and she was looking around in the debris for a weapon. She found one that would suit her purposes and stooped low to pick it up, holding it up defensively in front of her. The Hunter had remained inert, waiting. It studied her like a predator would prey, like Ali did when she was hunting another human. For the first time in her life, Ali understood what the humans felt when she would stare them down. However, she wasn't going to cower like one of those miserable humans; if this thing wanted to kill her, she was going to give it a hell of a fight.

The Hunter barreled forward, attempting a direct attack. Ali waited for it. When it was within striking distance it raised its fist and slashed down at Ali, its wrist blades glinting menacingly. Ali hopped back and the blades missed her by inches. The Hunter continued advancing, but Ali was ready for her counterattack. She dropped low to the ground and swiped her leg out in a swift arc, taking the Hunter's feet right out from under it. The Hunter let out a sharp roar as Ali plunged her spear of debris deep into its calf. Another roar sounded from the Hunter as Ali ripped the spear back out, causing a geyser of neon green blood to splatter her across the face, washing away the alien's blood. Despite the unusual lack of warmth emanating from the green blood, Ali still felt the same rush she always felt when on a hunt.

_Be careful, Ali_, Emery's voice suddenly sounded. There was no doubt that Emery could pick up on Ali's growing blood lust. _I am worried that you will grow overconfident. If there is one thing that has stuck in the memory of our kind since the beginning of time it is that the Hunters are resilient and can withstand many of our attacks._

"_But I got him!"_

Her victory was cut short as the Hunter sat up with a growl. Before Ali could react, the Hunter swung its fist into Ali's chest, launching her backwards. She slammed into the ground several feet away from the Hunter and could only lie in a heap while she tried to catch her breath. SHe was shocked at the amount of power in that one hit. The Hunter got to its feet and began stalking toward her before she even had a chance to recover, but its movements were slowed on account of the limp in its leg. It reaches Ali just as she managed to push herself into a sitting position, giving her no time to protect herself as it slashed at her face. Ali felt the sharp sting of the blades as they sliced diagonally across her face from one end to the other. She felt the blood welling up and then running down her face. She then felt the scaly coolness of the Hunter's massive hand as it wrapped around her throat, lifting her off her feet. Gasping, Ali clawed at the Hunter's hand, desperate for air. The Hunter tilted her head left, then right, studying her more closely. Taking the opening, Ali kicked the Hunter hard in the stomach. It grunted, but its grip remained tight and it held Ali out further.

"What do you want?" Ali managed to gasp, despite her lack of oxygen.

The Hunter merely growled and clicked in reply. Blinding white pain flared across Ali's eyes as the Hunter slammed her head into the ground repeatedly. Ali was unsure why the Hunter was trying to knock her unconscious but she was determined to remain awake as her head was smashed again and again into the ground. The back of her head was in agony and her vision had gone completely white yet she somehow managed to hold on. The Hunter paused before lifting her almost into a standing position before just letting go; knowing Ali would be too weak to catch herself. Sure enough, Ali did nothing as she fell backwards and the next thing she knew, her head was bouncing off the ground with enough force to break her hold on her conscious state, sending her careening into a white, pain-filled dreamland.


	6. The Hunter's Tools

A throbbing headache was what greeted Ali when she finally woke up and at first, she couldn't remember why. Then the memory of the Hunter slamming her head into the ground again and again came back. She tried lifting a hand to check and see if her head was bleeding, but that was when she realized her hands were shackled to a table. Struggling proved futile, as the bindings were stronger than anything she had encountered before. A loud hiss made her turn her head to see the only door opening. She wasn't surprised at all when two Hunters stepped in. One was definitely the one that had ambushed her, but the other was different, his mask was covered in scars and there were several more weapons strapped to his belt. It was the more gruff-looking Hunter who stepped closer to Ali until he was directly looking down at her.

"What do you want?" she asked.

The Hunter let out a series of strange clicks, followed by a gruff dialect.

"Sorry, I can't really understand you," Ali said with spite.

The Hunter spoke to the younger one and the two seemed to have an argument for a few minutes before the younger one spun on its heels and stormed out of the room, obviously angry that he was being forced to leave. The Hunter that remained walked slowly over to a side-table and picked up a small device with a wicked looking needle. The Hunter took the needle and grabbed Ali's chin, forcing her head the other way. She fought against him, but cried out when pain shot from her neck down her spine. She twitched and clenched her hands into fists until the pain vanished, leaving her gasping.

"Well that wasn't so bad, if that's all you got up your sleeve—"

"You can understand now?"

Ali's eyes snapped over to the Hunter's. She stared at him in shock. "What?"

"You can understand now?" the Hunter repeated.

"How?"

The Hunter raised the device and tapped it with one scaly finger. "We don't interrogate much, but when we do we run into the problem of the victim not being able to understand us. So we created a device that we implant into our victims' necks and gives them a limited access time to our language."

"And what kind of information are you seeking?" Ali asked, "I'm not too familiar on human knowledge."

"How were you created?" the Hunter interrupted.

"Why do you want to know that?"

"Tell me."

"No."

There was a pause as the Hunter appeared to study Ali intently. He gave a grunt before reaching for the thin cables that connected into his mask. Hisses of air were released as the Hunter jerked the cables free. Ali watched with curiosity as he gripped the edges of his mask and slowly pulled it off.

Once his face was revealed Ali glared into the Hunter's beady eyes. "You looked better with the mask on," she ridiculed.

The Hunter merely grunted, his mandibles clicking. "You can't resist forever."

"We'll see."

The Hunter said nothing as he gently rested the tip of his long nails on Ali's arm. He pressed down with a little more pressure, his nails puncturing her skin. Ali barely flinched.

"We could make it fair," she said, "I tell you something about me if you tell me something about you."

The Hunter removed his claws quickly, surprise appearing on his face. "Why?"

"Because I'm probably just as curious about you as you are with me."

The Hunter seemed to consider Ali for a moment before nodding. "Very well."

Ali grinned. "I'll go first. Hmm, let's see. I happen to be a Capricorn."

The Hunter growled. "That wasn't the information I wanted."

"Too bad. The rules were I would tell you something and then you would tell me something. You never made it specific."

"Tell me about your creation."

"You have to tell me something about you first. How about telling me your name?"

"No."

"I'm sorry, then I don't know what I can tell you."

The Hunter sighed. "I don't have to share my name with someone as low as you. But I can tell you that I am a Yautja. We are the hunters of the universe, traveling from planet to planet to find the most interesting creatures to hunt."

Ali looked at the Hunter in shock, the truth dawning on her. "You want to know how to make more like me so you can hunt them."

"You certainly create an interesting prospect." There was a pause as the Hunter and Ali exchanged gazes. "Your turn."

Ali's mind was working furiously. Before, she only thought the Hunter wanted to know more about the aliens, but instead he wanted to create hybrids for the sheer purpose of hunting them. It was something she couldn't resign another to and so she met the Hunter's eyes and shook her head.

The Hunter's fist slammed into her face, snapping her head to the side. Blood poured from her nose and onto the table, which, to her dismay, remained unaffected. The Hunter's claws dug into her face as he yanked her face around and forced her to meet his gaze. Ali grinned at him, despite the pain and blood coming from her nose.

"I think you broke my nose!"

The Hunter growled, his aggravation mounting. "Forget the back and forth nonsense. Tell me what I want to know!"

"No! Not if you're going to start creating more just to hunt them!"

"You have a strong will, like the Hard Meats, but your body is slightly weaker than theirs, isn't it? And everyone has a breaking point."

The Hunter reached for a strange, but sharp-looking device. Ali watched closely, already knowing what was coming. She wasn't planning on struggling, determined to give the Hunter nothing, but he grabbed her arm anyway to hold her steady. He drew the sharp tool straight down Ali's elbow all the way to her wrist.

Ali screamed the moment the blade pierced her arm, she hadn't expected to be in this much agony. She had felt pain before, but this was different, the blade sliced differently than any she had experienced before. Her arm continued to burn long after the Hunter lifted the blade. Again, the table remained unaffected despite the fact that Ali could feel her blood running down her arm and spilling across the surface.

"Tell me how to make a human with the blood of the Hard Meats!" The Hunter demanded.

"No!" Ali shouted, even though her mind was becoming clouded with pain, "I will never tell you."

"I got all the time in the world. There is no one coming to save you."

"Doesn't matter. You can kill me for all I care, but I won't subject someone like me to your games."

The Hunter growled and marched back over to his side-table and reached for a serrated knife. When he got closer, however, Ali was able to see that the serrated edge was lined with barbs. She glared up at the Hunter and clenched her mouth shut. The pain that flared on her stomach made her shudder, but she refused to open her mouth to scream. The Hunter ran the knife several more times across her stomach, but eventually stopped when he saw he wasn't getting the reaction he wanted from Ali.

"Is that all you're going to do?" Ali said when she heard the blade being returned to the table, keeping her eyes on the ceiling, "You really are going to have to push hard to reach my breaking point."

"We'll see how much you feel after you recover from this," the Hunter replied.

Ali was about to ask what he meant when she felt warm liquid flowing over her stomach. She choked on her own scream as liquid fire began spreading through her veins. It moved slowly, seeping down her legs and up her torso, the pain spreading with it.

"We will talk again later, once you've woken up."

"What does that mean?" Ali said, surprised that she was able to get the words out.

Her answer came in the form of more pain as the venom, or whatever it was, continued to spread. Her shoulder began burning as if her own acidic blood had turned against her. She tried lifting her head to see for herself if her skin was getting eaten away, but it looked normal; the pain was all on the inside. For a moment, Ali was unable to understand why her shoulder was hurting so bad, but then it came back to her; the wound Aisha had given her. But the pain didn't stop there, the venom was still working its way through her body. The damage it caused to old wounds was nowhere near as bad as what it did to new wounds.

Her arm began shaking as she was forced into a torrent of agony. Her screams continued to echo around the room, long after the sheer force of agony sent her into spiraling darkness.


	7. Devon's Choice

Ali's nails raked down his face, summoning forth little rivulets of blood.

"Ali, stop it!" Devon begged.

Ali only laughed and wrapped her fingers tightly around Devon's throat. Gasping, Devon clawed at her hands, but her grip was relentless as she continued to squeeze the air out of him. He surprised himself when he managed to get a choked scream out as Ali's nails dug deep into his throat. Ali continued laughing.

Devon shot up, his eyes flying open, a scream working its way up his throat. It took him a while to realize that it had just been a nightmare, and that he was still in the abandoned convenience store. His hand rose to his throat nonetheless, the lingering feeling of Ali's fingers tight around his throat still vivid. His alien companion, who Devon had been using as a pillow, perked his head up and cooed softly. Devon smiled and placed a hand on the alien's head.

"I'm alright, just a bad dream."

The alien hissed in response and stretched his limbs before rising smoothly to his feet. He wandered the isles slowly, scavenging for anything edible. Devon sighed and got to his feet as well.

"Come on, you know there's no food here, we have to go out if you're hungry."

The alien gave a nod and started walking to the door. Just as he reached the threshold he gave a shriek and a shudder passed through him.

"Hey, are you alright?" Devon called.

The alien turned around and trotted back to Devon. He hissed in concern and bumped Devon's chest.

"What?"

The alien only repeated the gesture, hissing again. Devon didn't know what was going on and could only shake his head in confusion; Ali had always been better at communicating with the aliens. Grunting, the alien glanced around in search for a way to convey his message. Spying something, the alien ran toward the remains of a book display case and swiped at the few books that remained on its shelves. Devon moved over to the pile as the alien pushed one book over to him. Devon picked it up and brushed away the thick coating of dust.

"Mother Knows Best," he read the title.

The alien hissed.

"I'm still not following, Mother—?" The alien cut him off, hissing. Realization suddenly dawned. "Oh! Mother! You mean Emery!"

The alien nodded eagerly. Devon had completely forgotten about the barrier he had constructed around his mind after leaving the Hive. He had known that Emery would only pester him to return to the Hive if he kept his mind open so he had no choice but to block her. He wondered what was so important that she had to speak to his alien companion in order to get his attention. Deciding to see for himself, Devon opened his mind and let Emery in.

_Devon?_

"_What is it?_" Devon asked, surprised at the fear in Emery's voice.

_Ali has been taken!_

"_By what?"_ Devon asked.

_Hunters_.

A shiver of fear passed from Emery's to Devon's and he was stunned at the amount of her fright. Before he could ask a single question about the Hunters, his world vanished around him. When things came back into focus he found himself standing on an unknown, seemingly deserted planet. Hearing sounds behind him, he spun around just in time to see a pack of aliens running toward them, with a Queen running in the middle of the fray. As the aliens reached Devon, he automatically shielded himself, forgetting that it was just a memory. For a moment, it was unclear as to what they were running from, but it soon became obvious. Large, humanoid creatures were charging after the aliens, riding strange-looking bikes, bearing wicked spears and powerful weapons.

"What is this?" Devon screamed.

He received no answer as the Hunters began gaining on the aliens they started firing their weapons, sending blasts of blue energy. Several aliens were struck by the blasts and fell to the ground, dead. It quickly became obvious that the real target was the Queen, as the Hunters continued shooting the aliens and began working their way closer to her. Within moments, they had her surrounded and were shooting cables across to each other. The Queen let out a horrible shriek as her legs were entangled in the cables and she lost her balance. Devon flinched as the Queen toppled over and hit the ground with a sickening thud. She continued to wail as the Hunters launched more cables around her, restraining her arms, legs, and tail.

"Stop it! Please!" Devon cried, covering his eyes, "No more!"

The sounds of the Queen's anguished cries were silenced instantly. Devon peeked through his fingers, only lowered his hands when he was saw that the vision had disappeared. However, he could still see the sight of the trapped Queen, could still hear her cries. A shudder passed through him and the alien next to him rubbed against him soothingly.

"_They hunt aliens."_

_Yes._

"_How'd they get Ali?"_ he asked.

_They caught her off-guard_, Emery's voice sounded strained, _they are hurting her badly. I can feel her pain! You have to help her!_

"_Why should I?"_ Devon demanded, _"Why should I care what happens to her? She's never cared about me. And neither have you!"_

_What are you talking about?_ Emery asked in a stunned voice.

"_I know that you were only loyal to her. You always took her side in an argument."_

_You are wrong. I tried to avoid ever getting in the middle of your fights._

"_You only interfered when Ali asked you to."_

_Yes, but you do not understand._

"_What don't I understand? It seems to me that you would always rat me out! Why?"_

_Because she would ask._

"_You could have lied!"_

_It is not in a Queen's nature to lie to her subjects. _Devon still steeped in anger so she added, _How come you never asked me about what Ali was thinking?_

Devon was startled. _"What?"_

_If you had asked me what Ali was thinking during your hunts I would have told you that it was on her past as well. You just never asked._

"_You never told me I could ask!"_

_You never asked._

Devon sighed and lowered his head. _"It doesn't matter. I can't do it."_

_Do what?_

"_Save Ali, I can't do it!"_

Emery's voice was gentle. _Why not?_

"_Why not? From what you showed me in the memory, these Hunters have the skills to take down a full-grown Queen, what chance do I have? And besides, I could never beat Ali in any of our fights and these Hunters take her like it was nothing. How am I supposed to fight against something that Ali herself couldn't defeat?"_

_You must find the strength to do it. They may kill her._

Devon flinched slightly and asked slowly, _"How bad are they hurting her?"_

_You do not want to know._

"_Just show me!"_

His mind was engulfed in the most excruciating pain he had ever felt. His whole body felt like it burned in agony. He was having trouble breathing. Any slight movement caused waves of spasms to course through him. Was this really what Ali felt?

_Yes,_ Emery answered, _They tortured her into unconsciousness and then waited until she woke up to start again. They have been at it for two hours now._

The pain evaporated as soon as Emery started speaking again, but Devon's body still trembled, as if he had been the one subjected to the Hunter's torture. He had a feeling that Ali's thoughts didn't show the true extent of her pain and that only made him ache even more inside. The pain he had been shown was enough to make him change his mind; he was going to save Ali even if it cost him his life.


	8. Rescued But Not Free

Devon peered around the building, keeping his back pressed up against the brick wall. The alien had been able to use its keen sense to track their destination; a strange, otherworldly ship that sat in a large clearing.

"This is it," Devon said.

The alien hissed in eagerness and shifted from one foot to the other. Devon wished he could share the alien's fervor, his stomach was in a knot of butterflies that viciously swarmed around inside him. As planned, the alien took the lead, moving close along the building, with Devon right behind him. They already had a defense plan in case the Hunters were to be aware of their presence and come out to meet them, but the ship was still as they drew closer.

"I have a bad feeling about this," Devon mumbled.

The alien hissed in agreement. They moved closer to the silent ship and Devon began looking for a way onboard the ship. The alien nudged against Devon's shoulder and gestured to several air vents a few feet above them. They were most likely used for cooling the ship during flight, but the vent shafts would lead to easy transportation through the ship.

After receiving confirmation from Devon, the alien began scaling the side of the ship in order to reach the air vents. The alien's tail snaked down for Devon to grab on and the alien hoisted him up to the vent. Once inside, they followed the winding trail of the vents.

"This ship is huge," Devon commented, "How are we supposed to find Ali?"

The alien shook his head and ran his claws along the metal surface of the shaft, letting out soft cries. His meaning was clear enough, the metal hull was interfering with his senses; he wouldn't be able to find Ali. However, the alien's extra senses weren't needed as a terrible scream punctured the air. The sound echoed off the walls, making it hard for Devon to locate the source, but the alien took off in an instant. They only ran for a couple minutes before the alien stopped in front of a grated cover that lead into the halls of the ship.

"Is the coast clear?"

The alien nodded and slammed into the grating with all his strength, sending it into the hallway. Devon winced as the sounds of the clatter continued to echo down the halls. The alien dropped down into the hallway quickly and Devon followed suit. They both knew they were going to have to get as far away from that area as they could; someone would have heard the noise.

"Come on."

The alien took off for the end of the hallway with Devon in hot pursuit. They didn't get far before another wretched scream filled the air. It sounded close, which was a slight relief to Devon, it meant they were heading in the right direction. He picked up his pace, eager to find Ali so he could get out of here. The alien suddenly stiffened and came to a halt just before coming to a bend in the hallway. The alien stopped so suddenly that Devon nearly smacked into the alien's back. Ali's screams were at their loudest and Devon knew they were very close now. He moved in front of the alien and stuck his head around the corner. There was a door around the corner and down the hall from which Ali's high pitched screams were originating.

The alien growled as Ali let out another scream, this one more agonizing than the one before. He started to surge forward, forcing Devon to quickly put an arm in front of him.

"Not yet! We can't just barge in there! We don't know how many of those Hunters are in there with her."

The alien growled, but obeyed Devon and stepped back. However, Devon found it very hard to follow his own instructions as Ali's screams rose to higher pitches. Despite his innate fear of the Hunters, he wanted to charge into the room and tear them apart as they continued to torture Ali.

Silence suddenly rang out and Devon felt himself stiffen. He waited one minute, two, with anticipation. The silence dragged on for a few more minutes before the metal door slide open with a hiss and a massive Hunter stepped out. Being that it was the first time he saw one in person, Devon was overcome by a wave of fear at the sight. The Hunter immediately turned left down the hallway and disappeared for sight. Devon waited until the sound of the Hunter's footsteps had faded away before racing toward the door, the alien in hot pursuit.

Unfortunately, as Devon got closer, he found himself faced with another hurtle; how was he supposed to get the door open? The door was smooth and seamless without any trace of a door knob. All he could see was some sort of keypad next to the door, but when he tried putting his hand on it, nothing happened. It could probably only be opened by a Hunter.

"Now what?"

The alien hissed and stepped around Devon. He gave the keypad a sniff, and cocked his head to the side. His second mouth shot out with powerful force and smashed the keypad. It sizzled and crackled with electricity, shorting out. The door slid open the next second.

"How'd you know that would work?" Devon asked.

The alien looked at him and gave a shrug, indicating that he had just guessed. Devon didn't give himself time to think about how lucky that had been, choosing instead to use that time to run into the room. What he saw made him and the alien both stop in their tracks.

Ali was lying shackled to a large, metal table. Fresh, dark blood covered the table's surface, spilling over the side and dripping on the ground. Unnerved by the fact that neither the table nor the floor was being affected by Ali's acidic blood, Devon moved closer. Ali appeared unconscious, her breathing very shallow and her head turned away. She was almost completely naked, the majority of her clothes having been burned away by the massive amount of her blood. The alien remained at the door as a lookout.

"Ali?" Devon called, fearful that Ali wouldn't move.

But, to his relief, her head turned towards him and her eyes opened slowly. He rushed over to her side. Up close he could see all the damage inflicted to her and it was the worst sight he had ever seen. Ugly gashes ripped across her body in cruel, twisted patterns. In some places, it was obvious that a straight-edged knife had been used, while others looked as if the blade had been serrated. Some of the lacerations were blistered and puckered, a sign that something white hot had been pressed against them. One particularly nasty cut on Ali's arm had been completely blackened by something and a sickening smell appeared to be coming from it.

"Devon?" her voice sounded so weak.

"It's alright, I'm here."

"Why did you come?"

"You didn't think I'd just leave you here, did you?"

Ali looked away. "After what I did to you I wouldn't have been surprised."

Devon ignored her and focused his attention on figuring out the shackles holding Ali down. They looked simple enough, just a thick metal cuff that was hinged on one end. The problem soon became clear when Devon saw no sign of any locking mechanism, it looked as if it had been welded in place. He tried ripping them off, but wasn't strong enough.

"Hey!" Devon called over to the alien guarding the door, "See if you can get these cuffs off."

The alien cast one glance back toward the open door before hurrying over to Ali. He glanced at the cuffs for a second before hissing.

"This might hurt—" Devon started to say, but Ali gave him a withering look and he shut his mouth.

The alien glanced between Ali and Devon, as if waiting for confirmation. He only started working at the cuffs when Devon gave him a nod. As the alien tinkered with the shackles, Devon began searching for something to cover Ali up with, eventually spying a large cloth covering a small table. He ripped the cloth off and instantly reeled back in shock. On the table was an array of sharp implements and vicious-looking tools. It was very reminiscent of a deranged surgeon's table. A sharp, short cry sounded behind him, followed closely by the clanging of metal. The alien had finally gotten one of the cuffs off and had moved on to another, but the process was taking too long.

"We have to get her out of here," Devon told the alien, "We don't know when they'll be coming back."

"They probably won't," Ali answered.

"I don't want to take that risk. What if they decide to interrogate you more?"

"They won't," the anguish in Ali's voice was painfully obvious.

"What do you mean?"

Ali flinched and let out another cry as two more cuffs around her ankles hit the floor. The alien moved to the last cuff. Recovering, Ali opened her mouth to speak, but quickly closed it again, unable to get the words out. Silent tears started falling down her cheeks and Devon stared at Ali in shock. He had never seen Ali cry like this before, had never seen her so broken. The only time she had seemed this vulnerable was when she thought Aisha had killed Emery, but that had been a different kind of broken. For the first time, Devon saw her as a frightened, normal-looking girl.

"Don't worry about it," he finally said, "It doesn't matter."

Ali turned her head and looked Devon straight in the eyes. She opened her mouth, about to speak, but instead a final cry came out as the last cuff clattered off the table. As the sound of the cuff continued to echo around the walls, Devon threw the make-shift blanket over Ali, praying that it would be resistant like the table and floor. Thankfully, nothing happened when the blanket covered Ali and he carefully tucked the ends underneath her so that it would be easier to lift her.

"Get to the door," Devon said to the alien, "Make sure the coast is clear."

While the alien stood guard at the door, Devon thought about the best way to move Ali. She seemed to be in pain without moving so he knew it wouldn't be pleasant for her if he were to pick her up.

"Alright, I'll go as gently as I can, but this is going to hurt," Devon said.

Ali didn't respond so Devon took that as an invitation. Moving slowly, Devon snaked one hand under Ali's legs and another behind her neck. Ali's hand flew out from under the cloth and grabbed on to Devon's shirt. Trying to move as slowly as he could, Devon pulled Ali off the table and pressed her close to his chest. She screamed as the wounds on her body strained and pulled, fingers clenching into Devon's shirt.

Devon turned around and started walking back toward the door, but he didn't go far before the floor beneath him gave a violent shudder followed by a far off rumble.

"What was that?" Devon asked.

"It was the ship taking off," Ali answered.


	9. Devon vs Hunter

Another violent shudder shook the ship, this time making Devon almost lose his footing.

"What do you mean the ship is taking off?"

"They have no reason to stay anymore, they got what they wanted," there was pain and regret in Ali's voice.

Devon looked down at her. "What do you mean?"

"I already told you."

A cold trickling feeling crept from Devon's feet all the way to his head. "You didn't tell them, did you?"

Ali nodded. "At first I thought I could resist them, I thought I could hold out against their torture, but I couldn't." Ali's voice cracked and she couldn't continue.

Devon felt numb all over. Ali, the impenetrable force, the unbreakable, had broken down? He could only look at Ali as she continued to cry, her grip tightening on Devon's shirt.

"Hey," he said, finally snapping out of his trance, "don't worry about it. Let's just focus on getting off this ship."

Ali looked up at Devon, the tears stopping. She looked back down and Devon was afraid that she was too broken to want to go on, but she finally gave a small nod. The alien hissed urgently to them and Devon hurried to his side. The hallway was still clear, but even Devon could hear the sound of approaching footsteps.

"Go that way," Ali said, pointing to the right.

Devon and the alien took off immediately, just as a burly Hunter rounded the corner from the hallway to their left. It let out a surprised growl and seemed too shocked to give chase instantly which was all Devon needed to establish a good lead. However, the thudding sounds behind him told him that the Hunter was hot on his heels.

"How exactly do you expect to get off the ship?" Devon asked as he rounded a corner.

"There's a holding bay up ahead. They might have escape pods of some kind."

"How do you know all this?"

"Short story is I can understand their language for a little bit." She reached out from under the blanket to point at lettering on the wall. "We're following the signs."

The thundering sounds of the Hunter behind him encouraged Devon to press on faster. The alien started to pull back, planning on facing the Hunter in order to buy Ali and Devon more time, but Devon didn't want him to leave so soon; they had no idea if the bay would be guarded or not. Luckily, no words were needed; the alien sensed Devon's intentions and remained at his side.

Expecting to have to be on the run for longer, Devon was surprised when he suddenly entered the holding bay. Relief also flooded him when he saw that it was deserted, but it wouldn't be for long, not with the Hunter still behind him.

"What now?"

"Small craft," Ali whispered.

Devon looked down in shock, she sounded weaker than before. Her grip had loosened and her hand had fallen to her chest, her skin had grown paler and waxy, she was struggling to hold on. He had to move fast.

The holding bay was small with only a few dozen crafts, all of different sizes. Devon found the smallest one he could find in the middle of the holding bay. Just as he reached the craft, the Hunter reached the holding bay. The Hunter's growl echoed around the room and he was quick to return to the chase.

"Get Ali on that craft," Devon told the alien, "And see if you can figure out how to start it up."

The alien hissed and shook his head.

"We don't have time to argue!" Devon cried, forcing Ali into the alien's arms before he could protest anymore.

The alien growled, but moved toward the ship anyway while Devon turned to wait for the Hunter. He didn't have to wait long and when the Hunter came into view he realized it was the one who had been in the room with Ali; the one who had tortured her. The Hunter came closer before eventually coming to a stop, its head moving from Ali and the retreating alien and back to Devon. It seemed to be judging the distance between itself and the alien, probably trying to decide if it could reach the alien before Devon could react. Finally, the Hunter's head returned to Devon and stayed there, reaching the conclusion that it had to go through Devon first.

_Be strong, little one_, Emery's voice sounded suddenly.

She had been so quiet since Devon infiltrated the ship that her voice resonated shock through him, but he was nevertheless comforted by his Queen's words. He just wished he had the same faith in himself that she had.

Devon never got a chance to respond because the Hunter, as if sensing what was happening, suddenly moved with lighting fast speed, sending something small and fast whizzing toward Devon's head. Devon didn't have time to dodge out of the way so the only thing he could do was reach out and try to grab whatever it was. His hands clapped down on the object, stopping it immediately, but unfortunately, he clamped down on the blades and he felt them bite into his hands. Rivulets of blood oozed out of the cracks in his hands and dripped drop after drop onto the ground. To Devon's surprise the ground sizzled and smoked where his blood hit; apparently only certain things were resistant to acidic blood.

The Hunter's gaze moved from the ground sizzling at Devon's feet and then up to Devon's hands. It let out an aggravated growl and broke into a run heading straight for Devon. Now armed, Devon was willing to let the Hunter come. He was able to get a quick assessment of the device in his hands as the Hunter continued running; it was a throwing disk with five jagged blades protruding from it. Several holes ran along the edge, close to the blades, making for convenient handholds. When he looked up, the Hunter was almost upon him, brandishing a fist with twin blades protruding past it. Devon's hand went up in defense and sparks flew at the blades clashed against each other. The tremor that passed through Devon's arm and into his body jarred his teeth and he almost lost his grip on the disk. The Hunter's strength was incredible.

_Devon, the alien has started up the ship. Can you get away?_

_"I don't think so,"_ Devon replied, his hand beginning to shake.

He was forced to grip the disk with two hands in order to get the strength he needed to push the Hunter away. The Hunter took a step back, surprised. The blades on its wrist retracted and Devon braced himself, waiting for the Hunter's next move. Without moving from its spot, the Hunted reached for something attached to its hip. It looked like nothing more than a short staff, but with a simple squeeze, the Hunter was able to extend it out into a long spear with a wicked point.

_"Uh-oh,"_ Devon thought.

_What?_ Emery's frantic voice asked.

Her panic hit him like a brick wall. She had fallen into hysterics, racked with the terror of losing two of both Ali and Devon.

The Hunter, picking up on Devon's slight distraction, shot forward, slashing down with the spear. Devon didn't have enough time to lift the disk in defense and he cried out in pain as the tip of the spear raked down his shoulder.

_"You need to hide your worries,"_ Devon said as he backed away from the Hunter, _"I can't afford to be distracted right now."_

Instantly, Emery's conscious backed away and Devon was able to think clearly again just in time to parry the Hunter's second swipe. Blood flowed freely from his shoulder, quickly eating away at the left side of his clothing. He glanced down quickly at his shoulder, the wound wasn't deep and wasn't going to hurt for much longer. He couldn't focus on it as the Hunter was already coming back for another assault. Devon waited until the Hunter was almost upon him before ducking the Hunter's blades and slicing at its chest with his disk. The Hunter jumped back, but not quick enough and the blades slashed into its chest. It growled as bright green blood ran down its stomach.

_Be careful,_ Emery said, unable to hold back, _That does not do as much damage as you think, Ali found that out the hard way._

The Hunter looked down at its wound and then up at Devon. Growling, it shot forward too fast for Devon to react. Its unbladed fist slammed into Devon's chest, launching him into the air. Devon flew through the air until his back smashed into a nearby craft. He gasped as all the air was slammed out of his body and slumped against the craft. His vision blurry, he was aware of the Hunter lunging toward him, fist raised. His hands shot up instinctively and wrapped around the Hunter's fist, catching its hand just in time to prevent the twin blades from slicing into his face.

This close, Devon could see the intricate detail of the blades and he knew instantly he never wanted to be this close to them again. With the blades inches from his face, he was having a hard time focusing on anything else. It was taking all his strength and will power to hold the blades back. Unfortunately, the Hunter had a free hand and used that to its advantage. A sharp knife appeared from within the Hunter's belt and Devon watched warily. If he took just one hand off the Hunter, the blades would slash through his face, but if he didn't defend himself, he'd have a knife in him. Unable to move, he could only watch as the blade disappeared into his already wounded shoulder. He was consumed by white hot pain that enticed a piercing scream from his throat. The strength in his left arm diminished in a flash and it flopped limply to his side. Surprisingly, instead of taking advantage of Devon's weakness immediately, the Hunter only ripped its fist out of Devon's hand and took two steps back. Forgetting about the Hunter, Devon grabbed at the knife's handle and attempted to use his remaining energy to pull the blade free. The knife didn't even budge. He gave it another yank and was met with the same results. There was only one explanation and it was one he didn't want to realize; the blade had gone all the way through his shoulder and had become embedded in the hull of the craft behind him. He was trapped.


	10. Crash Landing

After spending several seconds pulling at the knife Devon looked up to find the Hunter standing as still as a statue. Devon was baffled, he was basically a sitting duck, completely immobile, and yet the Hunter hadn't moved in for the kill. It seemed content to watch Devon struggle futilely until he ran out of energy. It didn't have to wait long as Devon felt his good arm slowly grow more and more heavy. His breathing was becoming more labored as the pain spread slowly through his body. Desperately, he gave the knife a final tug before letting his arm fall as limply as the first. His vision became distorted and the Hunter melted into an obscure blur. A ringing filled his ears as his vision faded into darkness and back as he blinked slowly.

He turned his head to stare at the small craft where Ali and the alien were hiding. _Ali_. He had failed her, he had been unable to safe her. After the Hunter was done with him, it would probably move to the craft and Ali would once again become a prisoner to the Hunters. Her fate would either be more torture or worse, being hunted.

Suddenly, a small, dark shape crashed into the Hunter's side, causing it to let out a furious roar. Devon shook his head and his vision started coming back just in time to see the alien latching its claws into the Hunter's back and holding on. The Hunter's arms flailed wildly, but its body armor was preventing it from reaching the alien. While the Hunter struggled to rip the alien off it it, the alien's tail arched high over its head, like a scorpion's, and it opened its mouth wide to let out a fierce shriek. A cry of pain filled the air as the alien's tail swung down with stunning speed and drilled into the Hunter's shoulder. Without pausing, the alien jabbed the Hunter over and over with precision accuracy, aiming for vital areas. Eventually, weakened and bleeding from multiple places, the Hunter dropped to its knees and stopped struggling. The alien let out a another shriek as its second mouth shot out and stuck the Hunter in the back of the head.

Before the Hunter's dead body could hit the ground, the alien pounced off its back and rushed to Devon's side. Its shrieks died down into gentle coos as it studied the knife. Devon let out a scream as the alien suddenly pulled the knife out of his shoulder. Blood poured from the open wound, destroying the rest of his shirt, but that was the least of his worries.

"Is Ali alright?" Devon gasped.

The alien nodded then offered its support to Devon. Devon collapsed against the alien and was basically carried to the escape craft, the engines humming. The gangplank was already lowered and waiting and the alien helped Devon up the ramp. The craft proved to be smaller than it looked and there was probably only enough room for one Hunter to move about with mild comfort. Ali was lying on the floor off to the side.

"We need to leave now, before more Hunters show up."

The alien gave a nod and gently lowered Devon to the ground before moving to the front of the ship. Devon could only assume that Ali had advised the alien how to work the ship as the engines grew to a steady roar and the craft began to shake. Devon dragged himself over to Ali and touched her arm gently. Her eyes opened slowly.

"Devon," she whispered.

"We're leaving," he said.

Ali only nodded. The ship gave another shake and Ali cried out in pain as she was jostled around. The alien appeared by Devon's side and he looked at in shock. Who was steering the ship?

"The ship has autopilot," Ali stated, reading Devon's face.

The ship gave another shake and this time Devon felt the tremor through his shoulder, causing him to cringe in pain too. When Ali's spasms subsided she opened her eyes and gave a small laugh.

"What's so funny?" Devon asked.

"I guess you were right," she replied.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You told me that I would one day get what I deserve. You were right."

Devon shook his head. "No, no human deserved this."

Ali gave another chuckle. "I'm not human."

"You know what I mean! No one deserved this, not even you."

Ali lowered her head without answering, closing her eyes. Devon himself moved up to what he could only assume was a bench and leaned back against the wall, taking this time to look at his shoulder. He had never gotten a good look at the knife, but it must have been a narrow blade as the wound hole was very small. The wound was already starting to look ugly and he guessed the exit wound didn't look much better.

_Devon?_

"_Emery!"_ Devon had completely forgotten to update Emery that they had survived.

_How is Ali? Her mind is too clouded for me to read._

"_She's alive, but she's very weak."_

Devon could almost feel Emery relaxing in her throne and her relief flooded through him. Devon leaned back against the wall and clutched at his shoulder, they weren't home free yet. Even if they survived the return to the Earth, Devon had to do everything he could to save Ali, if she wasn't too far gone. Suddenly, the ship gave a large jolt, sending a spasm of pain through Devon. Not long after that, the ship began shaking, as if caught in a haywire massage chair. Devon's teeth clacked together and he curled up in a ball of pain. Ali let out small sounds of pain, but she didn't stir much, nor open her eyes.

"What's happening?" Devon cried.

The alien rushed to the front of the ship as symbols danced across the display screen. He didn't seem satisfied with what he saw, if he could even understand it, and he was quick to rush back to Ali and Devon. Hissing and fidgety, the alien desperately tried to get his point across. The ship began shaking harder, almost throwing Devon to the ground. He understood immediately; they were coming in too fast and the ship was going to crash.

"Protect Ali," Devon commanded, dropping from the bench and crawling underneath.

The alien scampered over to Ali and cradled her to his chest as the ship's vibrations grew more violent. Devon pressed up against the wall as best as he could, putting a hand on the underside of the bench in order to gain some support. He closed his eyes.

The crash came out of nowhere, sudden and loud. Terrible tremors shook his body and the sound of impact penetrated his ears. The ship was falling apart around him, but the pain was keeping him from crawling clear of the rubble. He tried to peek out in an attempt to locate Ali and the alien, but it was utter chaos around him. Without even realizing it, he was slipping into unconsciousness, darkness swallowing him up into a painless dreamland.


	11. Sweet Dreams

_Mind numbing pain swirled around her, suffocating her, enveloping her. Dark figures surrounded her, making the ominous clicking sound of the Hunters as they drew closer to her._

"_No! Stay away from me!"_

_She tried lifting her arms, but the agony of that proved impossible. She was forced to lie there as the figures above her leaned over her. Tools and weapons materialized in their hands, although, unlike the figures, they were not covered in darkness. The blades and objects glistened from an unseen light source and she could see her face reflected in them. It didn't take the figures long to plunge the blades deep into her body. Her screams echoed around her, deafening her. Her blood flowed, glistening and dark, out of her body before disappearing into the darkness. The figures above her began laughing harshly as they ripped their blades out of her body only to plunge them into her again. She started screaming again as the nightmare repeated itself from the beginning._

_The nightmare on repeat felt like it was never going to end. The pain she felt after each assault remained and intensified after each session. No matter what she did, nothing stopped the figures or brought about her escape. Time was irrelevant. She didn't know if it had been hours, days, months, or years. She just wanted it all to end._

_Eventually, her wish seemed to be granted. With each new attack, the figures grew fainter and the darkness grew dimmer. A white light appeared in the distance and started to grow. Before long, it had overcome the figures and had cancelled out the darkness, taking the pain with it. Unable to move, though, she could only drift aimlessly around the endless white haze._

"_Ali." The sudden voice was soft and pleasant, with a faint echoing ring to it._

"_Who's there?" she called._

"_You must go back!" the voice insisted._

"_What?"_

"_Go back, back to the living. It is not your time."_

"_What are you talking about?"_

_She wanted to move toward the voice, but instead she found herself being pulled away from the voice, backwards in the direction she had come._

As if surfacing out of water, Ali shot straight up and took in a long, ragged breath. For a moment, all she felt was disorientation and she tried to figure out where she was. All she knew was that she out of the dream and alive.

As her mind slowly cleared itself of the dream-like haze, she thought, _"Devon!"_

Ali started to move, but instantly winced in pain. Her entire body felt sore and strained in several places as she tried to move more slowly, but the pain wasn't sharp, which meant she was healing. She looked down to find herself clothed in blue jeans and a long-sleeved black shirt. Her eyes moved around to see that she was in the Hive. It must have been daytime, as the Hive was completely still and silent. Devon was nowhere to be seen.

She closed her eyes, thinking back to the moment when Devon had rescued her, trying to fit the pieces together. She was having trouble remembering anything but the pain, but she had a vague recollection of the ship they escaped in. She remembered seeing Devon after the ship had taken off and had remembered seeing blood on his shoulder. What had happened?

Ali's eyes snapped open when realization struck her; the ship had crashed! Had Devon survived?

"Devon!" Ali said, out loud this time.

Emery stirred suddenly as Ali's voice rang out in the silence. Her head appeared beneath her crest and she immediately looked turned Ali.

_Ali!_

Ali smiled, it felt so wonderful to hear her Queen's voice again, but there was still an important matter that she had to determine. _"Devon?"_

_He is fine,_ Emery said, her voice full of caring, _He is sleeping right now, he deserves his rest._

"_What do you mean?"_

_He has not left your side since he brought you back. He has not even slept. I was finally able to convince him you were fine and that he needed to get rest._

"_How long have I been out?"_

_It has been a few days. The first day was horrifying, I have never seen you in such agony. You were screaming and thrashing and Devon had a difficult time holding you down. Eventually you stopped thrashing and seemed to be relaxing, but you were not waking up. That was when I told Devon that you would recover, in your own time._

Ali pulled her legs up close to her body and sighed, it was hard to process everything at one time. Eventually, Ali rose to her feet and slowly moved over to her Queen's side. The aliens raised their heads as she walked by, apparently not asleep like she had thought, letting out happy hisses and coos. When she was closer, Ali could see Devon's hair sticking out from behind Emery's crest. The sounds of his breathing were soft and slow and his heartbeat was beating at a normal human's pace, he was deep into sleep.

_You are looking well,_ Emery stated, _considering all that has happened_.

"_Yeah, considering,"_ Ali agreed.

She turned her eyes to Emery, feeling herself relax as she finally accepted the fact that her whole family was safe again. Moving quietly, Ali climbed up Emery's throne and then up her body, moving closer to Devon. He was curled up in a ball, one hand tucked in close to his body and the other underneath his head to provide support. His back was pressed up against the backside of Emery's crest, as if to remind his subconscious that she was there.

_Do not waken him._

"_I wasn't planning on it,"_ Ali said as she edged closer.

Not like it would make much difference, he was sleeping so soundly that Emery could be running around and Devon wouldn't have even stirred. Still, Ali moved carefully and soundlessly as possible. Devon did end up stirring when Ali made contact with him, but he didn't wake up and Ali was able to press up close to him. Smiling, Ali took one arm and laid it softly onto Devon's side. She stared at his sleeping face for several seconds, watching his eyes move around with fervor as he dreamed. Without intentionally planning on sleeping, Ali's eyelids grew heavy and she closed her eyes. This time, there were no monsters in her dreams.


	12. Back to Normal?

Over the next few days after Ali's rescue things seemed to go back to normal. To an outsider, it would probably be hard to notice a difference, but Devon especially detected a change in Ali. For one thing, she began hunting on her own. She was still harsh to the humans she captured and would verbally abuse them mildly before they were killed. Her attitude toward Devon seemed to improve most of all; she barely insulted him anymore, but mostly left him to himself. However, Devon noticed a subtle difference in her demeanor, something that wouldn't be detected by anyone other than someone who spent so much time with Ali.

_She is still recovering,_ Emery said whenever Devon brought up his concerns.

"_But I've never seen her like this. Sure she treats me better and she doesn't abuse the humans as much, but there's something off about her."_

Emery tried to reassure him, but Devon couldn't be convinced. The other thing he noticed about Ali was the rings that had formed around her eyes. As the rings grew darker, Ali became paler and her eyes had become bloodshot.

"Are you okay?" Devon asked Ali one day when she returned from a hunt.

She didn't answer immediately as she dragged the babbling man to a corner to be cocooned. When she turned back to Devon she tried to smile, but her expression was strained and she looked like she was going to be sick.

"Sorry," she said, "I just haven't been getting a lot of sleep."

"But you've been by my side every night, I haven't felt you leave or even move at all," Devon said. It was true, ever since they had gotten back from the Hunter's ship Ali and Devon have been sharing the small nook behind Emery's head as a sleeping place.

Ali chuckled, but it sounded forced. "Just because I don't move doesn't mean I'm asleep. Nightmares keep me awake and I often settle for staring at the ceiling."

"Nightmares? What nightmares?" Devon asked. He could feel Emery's curiosity over the issue as well.

Ali nodded and explained, "It starts off in a large field with lush green grass. It's strange, I've never seen grass in person, only read about it, so how could my mind create something like that? And there were birds chirping, again, only read about it, never heard it before—"

"That doesn't sound like a nightmare," Devon commented, although, as he thought about it, Ali was completely opposite from all humans so a pleasant dream for most people might be a nightmare for Ali.

But Ali wasn't finished. "That's when it changes. I'm in a city, it's raining and there's lightening flashing all around. Every flash I see _their_ faces, staring at me. And then they attack."

"Their faces? Whose?" Devon asked, although as the words left his mouth he suddenly knew. The terraformers.

Ali didn't clarify. "They come after me, attack me, tear at me. The yell that I betrayed them and that I deserve to die."

"You know it's just a dream, right?"

Ali laughed again, another strained sound. "Of course, but that's why I don't sleep anymore."

She was trying to play it off like it was no big deal, but the look on her face and the rings around her eyes begged to differ. She was suffering, but she would never admit it, admitting it would be a sign of weakness. She ordered Devon to forget about it.

But Devon couldn't. The days wore on and Ali was growing steadily worse. When she came back from a hunt one day without a human, Devon knew it had gone too far. She refused to answer his questions and only crawled up behind Emery.

_Perhaps you are right,_ Emery said to Devon as Ali disappeared behind her crest.

"_She's getting worse."_

_Yes, and not only that, she is retreating into herself. I cannot find the source of her grief._

"_She blocked you?"_

_Not entirely, only the things she does not want me to see, mainly the reason for her attitude change. I am worried about her._

"_Yeah, me too."_

It only got worse from then on. Her lack of sleep had caused her to lose her edge in hunts and she would return more often than not without a catch. It was obviously frustrating her, but she never asked Devon to join her and Devon didn't even think he'd be able to. One day, Devon awoke to find Ali's spot next to him, vacant.

"Emery?" he asked.

_She went hunting_, Emery answered, _A few hours ago._

Devon sat up immediately and climbed down Emery's side. A few hours ago and she still wasn't back?

_Yes, I am worried as well,_ Emery said, reading Devon's thoughts. _If she is not back in five minutes I want you to go and look for her, alright?_

"_Yes."_

However, Devon didn't have a chance to leave. The door to the basement slammed open and Ali fumbled down the stairs, a small bundle in her arms. She glanced over at Devon and Emery, revealing her deathly pale face and red eyes. She looked terrible.

"What do you got there?" Devon asked.

"A host," she said.

"What kind of host is that?"

Without answering, Ali set the small bundle on the ground and began working on unfolding the cloth around it. Devon stepped closer, curious. When Ali pulled the last fold away Devon gasped and stumbled backward.

"What the hell?"

Wrapped in another cloth, a blanket perhaps, was a small baby. When the blanket was pulled away from its face the baby let out a shrill cry.

"What?" Ali asked.

"This is a _baby_!"

Emery had been unable to see what was in the bundle, but she let out a hiss when she heard Devon's revelation. _Why would you bring something like this here? I will not tolerate something so young to be slaughtered._

"I haven't been able to catch a human recently, so I thought I'd try something a little easier."

"But a _baby?_ You really expect to let a second stage latch onto its face?"

Ali shook her head. "No, I was planning on raising it until it was older, then doing it. That way we don't have to worry about hunting, we can just steal babies and raise them for slaughter."

"That's horrible!" Devon exclaimed.

Ali just shrugged.

_Ali, I am worried about you._

"Well you shouldn't be!" Ali almost screamed, suddenly angry. "You don't have to worry about me. I'm fine, never been better. It's none of your business."

Her hands had curled into fists and a slight tremor shook through her. Devon realized what was happening almost too late and only just managed to catch Ali before she crashed into the ground.

"Ali? Ali!"


	13. To Save a Life

_What is happening?_ Emery asked.

"I don't know," Devon said.

Ali hung limply in his arms, her head hanging back over his arm. Inches from her face, Devon could see the waxy coloring that had overtaken her skin and the shadows set in because of her skin stretched tightly over her bones. It was worse than he thought.

"She's sick," he said in shock.

_But the two of you do not get sick,_ Emery said.

Devon put his hand to Ali's forehead and almost wrenched it back in shock. Ali's flesh was burning up with a fever, something that not even he has experienced. Sliding his arm behind her knees, he managed to get a good grip on her and slowly rose to his feet.

"Take the baby back to the city. Drop it off along the borders if you don't want to get too close," Devon said to the nearest alien, "Someone will find it there."

Nodding the alien bent down and scooped the human baby up in his arms. As the alien disappeared Devon was briefly worried that the alien would devour the small child as soon as he got the chance, but Emery's reassurances calmed him down. Turning his focus back to Ali, Devon raced up the stairs.

_Where are you going?_

_"She's burning up,"_ Devon answered, _"I have to cool her down."_

He had to run up another flight of stairs, being careful to avoid the rotting steps, before reaching the shower rooms. He wasn't actually sure the water here would still work, but he might as well give it a try. When he turned the knob his heart initially sank when nothing happened, but then there was a sputtering sound and water started to flow out. It was freezing cold, but Devon hardly cared as he carried Ali underneath the spray. He lowered her gently to the ground and pushed her hair out of her face as it became wet and matted.

"Wake up, Ali, please," Devon whispered.

She was starting to cool down, but Devon wanted to make the process go faster so he tried to pull up her sleeves. He got the one on the right rolled up to her elbow, but when he reached for the left sleeve, Ali's eyes snapped open and she grabbed his hand.

"Ali!" Devon exclaimed.

"Where am I?"

"Upstairs of the orphanage, in the shower room."

"Why?"

"You had a fever," Devon answered.

Ali looked around, finally seeming to register her surroundings. "Thanks," she said, starting to rise.

"Where are you going?"

"Back to the Hive."

"You can't be serious? Ali, something is seriously wrong with you."

"Nothing is wrong, I'm fine," Ali said.

She started to walk to the door. Devon finally got to his feet and reached out for Ali. His fingers curled around her left arm, just below her elbow. He had expected her to spin around, take a swing at him, or even shout an insult at him. What he hadn't expected was to hear Ali scream out in pure agony and collapse back to the ground.

Moaning in pain, Ali lay curled in a ball on the ground, cradling her left arm close to her body. Devon lowered himself next to her and took hold of her arm. She tried to fight him but in her weak state, Devon had the upper hand. He managed to pry her arm away from her body and worked the sleeve up her arm. He stared at the spot on her arm where he had grabbed her, unable to believe his eyes.

"What happened?" he asked.

Ali didn't fight him anymore as his fingers reached out and brushed against the awful wound. A narrow cut ran straight across the underside of her arm, parallel to the bend in her arm. The area around the wound was red and blistering, a dark purple color surrounding the cut itself. The brief contact was enough to make Ali flinch in pain and Devon wondered how she was able to handle her clothing touching it all the time. To think of the agony she was enduring made him wonder how she had been able to hide it and why she was hiding it in the first place.

"It was from the Hunter," Ali said, "During my torture. There was some kind of toxin on one of the blades he used that prevented it from healing."

"Why didn't you say so?"

Ali shrugged. She was starting to shake and when she tried to pull her arm back to her chest Devon let her. Cradling her arm to her chest, Ali looked down into the ground.

"Ali, please, tell me what's going on."

"No."

_Ali, you can no longer hide your pain. I read it flying through your thoughts and it is muddling your thinking._

_"My thinking is just fine,"_ Ali said.

It wasn't until she had started speaking telepathically to the Queen that Devon was able to feel the pain racing through her. She was almost at the level of agony that she had endured during her torture. Devon had a feeling things were going to get very bad. However, before he or Emery could address her pain further, Ali's mind closed over and she blocked her thoughts from both of them. She turned her gaze to Devon.

"I'm fine," she insisted, "I don't need your help in recovering."

Her hand pressed flat against the ground, Ali tried to push herself up, but only got halfway up before falling back down. She hissed in pain and tried to use her other hand to help her up, the results were the same. She was in too much pain to rise.

"I don't care if you think you're fine," Devon said, reaching to help pull Ali to her feet, "You need help and I'm going to get it for you."

Ali looked up at him, glaring, but she didn't have time to answer as she leaned over and threw up onto the bathroom tile. Devon stepped back to avoid the splatter, dragging Ali with him. Ali was shaking horribly now and she was curling into herself trying to relieve the pain, but it wasn't working. She moaned in pain and her eyes rolled back into her head, her body going limp. Devon was glad he had a hand around her arm when she did, he was able to keep her head from smashing into the ground, but he was now extremely worried. Ali was a lot more than just sick.

_What are you doing?_ Emery asked, searching his thoughts, but since Devon hadn't come up with a plan yet her attempts were futile.

Devon's mind raced as he once again lifted Ali's limp body into his arms. She was dying, of that he was finally sure, and he had no possible way of saving her. Thinking hard, he finally reached one conclusion that might work in his attempt to save her.

_You cannot!_ Emery said.

_"I have no choice," _Devon answered, _"There is only one place to find help for Ali and that is in the human city."_

_But what human will help you?_

_"They don't have to do it willingly."_

Emery couldn't help but laugh at the notion, despite the fact that the laugh was shallow and short lived. _You really think you can force someone to care for Ali?_

_"I have to try,"_ Devon said, _"Ali could die."_

Emery was quiet for a moment, finally she said, _I know, but your own thoughts betray you. You fear entering the human city._

_"Of course I fear entering it. I haven't been really back there since my banishment, hunts with Ali don't really count. I don't know if someone will recognize me and try to send me away again or if they're going to sense something different about me."_

_Not to mention the fact that you are going to be carrying an unconscious girl in your arms._

_"Yes, that too."_

The two of them were silent for a long moment as they struggled to come to a conclusion. Devon hated standing still, doing nothing, when Ali was possibly dying in his arms, but he was having trouble convincing himself to move.

_Do it, _Emery finally said.

Her words rang through him and, like the sun piercing through clouds, the storm of doubt within him vanished. His mind made up, Devon took the first steps out of the shower room, made his way downstairs, and left the orphanage and Hive behind. Making his way to the nearest storm drain, he threw everything into the wind and climbed down into the dark shaft.


	14. Bad News

The trip through the winding tunnels was a long one, but before long Devon reached the human city. The humans had spent months tunneling out a huge cavern from the sewers of the original city. There were a bunch of design flaws due to the rushed nature of constructing the city in the short time in order to escape the aliens. The city could hardly be called that; it was nowhere near as grand as the cities that had once stood above ground. There were no skyscrapers, in fact there were few houses that even had a second floor. Roofs were a thing of the past as it had proved too risky to leave such a large gap unsupported. Still, the builders had given the rocky houses something similar to the homes they had once inhabited. Overhangs hung above the doorways to offer something that could give a small appearance to a roof. The workers had put designs around the doorways to give it a more homely appearance. Many rooms were connected to each other from the inside and could be traversed without having to enter the "streets".

Devon knew his best shot to wonder the city unquestioned was to go at night. He had waited painstakingly for the day to end so he could hopefully find Ali the help she needed. Unfortunately that meant he was having trouble finding help, seeing as no one was around. He didn't know what he had been hoping for when he decided to come to the city, but now despair was taking over. He wasn't going to find the help he needed. Ali was going to die. He was about to be alone once more.

"Devon?"

Devon was shaken out of his thoughts by the sound of his name echoing out across the deserted streets. Even though the voice had come from behind he still glanced down at Ali to see if it was her, but she was still unconscious. Slowly, Devon around and found himself staring at an old woman. She was hunched over, supported by a cane, had short white hair and wore wire-rimmed glasses. Something about her was very familiar, but he couldn't put his finger on it.

"Devon," the woman said again.

"How do you know my name?" he questioned, trying to sound intimidating.

The woman, instead, laughed. "Oh how silly of me! I shouldn't expect you to remember me, you were just a boy last time we saw each other."

At those words, Devon knew how she was. She had been a lot younger, with hair just as short, but chocolate brown instead of white. The glasses must have come recently due to old age, but those shining brown eyes were just the same. She had been there when he was told he had been banished. She had spoken in his favor. She had tried to stand up for him.

"Ms. Pierce," Devon said.

"It's Dr. Pierce now," Dr. Pierce said.

"Doctor?"

"Yes, I got my certificate shortly after you left. I know now a days that doesn't count for much, but I do what I can to help people." It was then that Dr. Pierce's eyes went down and noticed Ali in Devon's arms. "Who's this?"

Devon suddenly remembered Ali was in his arms as well. "She needs help," he said.

Dr. Pierce nodded. "Follow me."

She led him back to her office, which wasn't too far away, and held the door open so he could get Ali inside. He didn't remember ever going to the doctor's as a child so he didn't know what to expect. There were only three beds with doctor's equipment next to them that might have been salvaged from the hospitals above. Devon brought Ali to the nearest bed and laid her down gently.

"Why don't you tell me what happened," Dr. Pierce said as she picked up a blank chart attached to a clipboard and press a small button that let out a buzzing sound.

"She was poisoned by something," Devon said.

Two nurses came into the room, pushing a cart of more doctor supplies. The cart had needles and syringes and vials. One of them started taking Ali's vitals.

"Do you know what kind of poison?"

Devon shook his head. "She won't tell me."

"We can run some tests," Dr. Pierce said, "And see if there's anything that turns up. How long as she been in this condition?"

"I don't know. She's been hiding it from me, but it was only yesterday that she lost consciousness."

The nurse let out a gasp when she pulled back the sleeve to Ali's shirt, revealing the nasty wound on her arm. Dr. Pierce set the clipboard down and rushed over to Ali's side in order to study the wound up close herself.

"Get some blood samples to the lab quickly," she said.

"No wait—," Devon started to say, but he was too late.

The nurse slowly inserted the needle into the crook of Ali's elbow on her good arm. Devon waited for the sizzling to start, but nothing happened. Apparently the toxin the Hunter had used to torture Ali had some sort of nulling effect on her blood. Most likely to ensure that it spread throughout her bloodstream.

"We'll run some test and see what the toxin might be, but until then I want you to try and get her stable," Dr. Pierce said, talking to the nurses.

"Yes, ma'am."

"Can you help her?" Devon asked.

"I'm going to certainly try."

She disappeared in the back for a few minutes, leaving Devon alone with Ali. Without the two nurses hovering over her he could finally see the wires and tubes sticking out of her. There was an IV tube in her arm and several other wires stuck to her chest. The tubes and wires all lead to a machine that made beeping and humming noises. A breathing tube crossed beneath her nose, supplying her air through a machine that made whooshing noises as the accordion-thing inside a clear tube rose up and down. Pulling up a chair, Devon sat down at the spot next to Ali's bed.

Dr. Pierce finally returned almost an hour later. Her face was grim, telling Devon the news wasn't going to be good.

"Devon," she started, another bad sign, "We were able to determine the kind of toxin in her system."

"You were?" Devon asked, surprised.

"Yes, it's a strange form, not quite like anything I've seen before, but it bears similarity to a toxin that had been part of an epidemic twenty years ago."

"What does that mean?"

"It means we think we might be able to come up with a cure for it," Dr. Pierce replied. Relief swept through Devon, but Dr. Pierce wasn't finished, "However, there's no guarantee she'll make it in time. Her vital signs are very weak and she seems to be hanging on by a thread."

"No," Devon whispered.

Dr. Pierce put a hand on his shoulder. "We're going to do everything we can."


	15. Eternity

Blackness surrounded Ali. There was no sound, not even when Ali opened her mouth to scream. She wasn't sure if her voice was gone or if her hearing went away. She couldn't feel any pain and when she looked down at her body she saw that the wound on her arm was gone. She spun around the void of darkness for what seemed like years, she had no judgment of time in this place. Suddenly, a small speck of light appeared in the distance. Ali wanted to move toward it, but she had no control over her body. She had to wait to see if the light came to her, which it did. Eventually, after what seemed like hours later, the light came so close that it nearly consumed her and became so bright that she was forced to close her eyes.

When Ali eventually opened her eyes she found she was no longer in the black filled void. She was looking up at a tall, vast ceiling of a large chamber. More specifically, a Hive chamber; she could feel the ridges of the Hive beneath her. She sat up and looked around. The Hive chamber was unlike any she had ever been. For one thing, it was empty, no aliens in sight, and the other thing was its massive size. She had never seen a Hive this large before.

"Hello?" she called, not expecting to get an answer.

_"Hello, Ali, I have been waiting for you,"_ a soft, gentle voice echoed off the walls of the chamber, as well as in Ali's mind.

Ali spun around, as that seemed to be where the voice was originating. Her breath felt like it had been sucked away from her lungs as her eyes widened. Standing before her was the most beautiful creature she had ever seen. It looked similar to a Queen, but stood twice as tall, and blazed the most brilliant white. Its crest was small, but the sharp icicle-like spires that adorned the top gave it a more crown-like appearance. Ali moved forward slowly, raising her palm as she did; she had to touch it, to be sure it was real. The white Queen stood still as Ali drew near, as if wanting Ali to touch it. Ali stopped when she was within a foot of the Queen's leg and her fingertips brushed against the white skin. The tips of her fingers burned, but not from heat; the creature's skin was ice-cold, the coldest thing Ali had ever felt. She pressed her whole palm against the cold skin, shivering as chills shot up her arm.

"What are you?" Ali asked, "What is this place?"

_"Before I answer that, I think you will be pleased to see who is here."_

"Who?"

Her answer came from behind in the form of hissing. She recognized the sound despite not hearing it in a long time. She spun around and a large grin broke out on her face. She skimmed over the faces of Hicks and Aglaia, excited to see them, but drawn to the Warrior closest to her.

"Timothy!" she exclaimed.

Timothy hissed happily and ran forward. Ali broke into a run as well, racing toward her friend. They slowed down just long enough to avoid crashing into each other. Ali's arms wrapped around Timothy's torso and she buried her face into his shoulder. Timothy hissed and bowed his head over Ali's shoulder and snaked his tail around her waist. Tears flowed freely down Ali's cheeks as she breathed in Timothy's scent. He smelled exactly as she remembered.

"Is this a dream?" Ali whispered.

_No,_ came Aglaia's voice.

A shudder of joy passed through Ali as her former Queen's presence filled her mind. She looked over Timothy's shoulder at Hicks and Aglaia, her mind racing. She reluctantly pulled away from Timothy and turned back to the white Queen. Timothy's tail remained snaked around her waist and he rubbed his head against her shoulder as she addressed the white Queen.

"Am I dead?"

_"No,"_ the white Queen answered, _"But you are near death."_

"So who are you?"

_"I am the Mother of All, the First of Many, and the Keeper of the Afterlife."_

"Do you have a name?"

_"I have many names, but you can call me Eternity."_

"Eternity. So if I'm not dead, then where am I?"

_"You are in between the land of the living and the land of the dead."_

"Am I going to die?"

_"You could go either way, the choice is yours."_

"So if I chose to let go, I could be with Timothy?"

Eternity hissed. _"You want to die."_ It wasn't a question. _"Even before you knew Timothy was here."_

"You know?"

_"I know everything. I know that you hid your wound from Devon so that he would not be able to help you. And I know that you wish for death. Tell me why."_

"I thought you knew everything," Ali replied.

_"Very well. I know that you feel to blame for possibly condemning many more like you to slaughter at the Hunters' hands."_

"But I am to blame."

_"You think the Hunters will be successful?"_

Ali nodded.

Eternity broke into a gentle laughter that sounded like rushing water. _"The Hunters will never be able to create human-aliens; you and Devon will be the only ones like you. Unless, of course, you decide to have children of your own."_

"How can you be sure?"

_"Why do you think I am called the Mother of All? I create every alien that walked or walks the land of the living, including you and Devon."_

"Why did you create us?"

_"Because I was curious. I may be all knowing about my own creations, but I had no knowledge of the human life. They are strange creatures and I wanted to see if it could be done."_

"Well you did a splendid job," Ali said, suddenly angry, "Humans hated me!"

_"It was not supposed to turn out that way, my original intention was to have you and Devon born at the same time so that the two of you would not have had to be alone. However, I was unable to create Devon at that time."_

"Why?"

_"I needed a way to blend human with alien. For that to be possible the woman being impregnated had to already be pregnant with a human child. As it turned out, your mother was the only human pregnant at the time. But I did not leave you alone; Timothy was created to be your friend. And since him, I made sure that there was at least one whom you could connect to and get close to."_

Ali looked down, her thoughts jumbling together. She lifted her head when Eternity hissed.

_"You still want to die."_

Ali looked at her old friend. "I want to be with Timothy."

_"Timothy is never far from your side."_ Eternity said, _"He has always been there, you just could not see him."_

"How?"

_"There are portholes that give the dead a glimpse into the world of the living. It is as if there is a thin sheet that divides the two worlds. Why do you think it is that after so many years apart, you still remember every little detail about him?"_

"But—"

_"He will be here waiting after you have lived a long life on Earth with Devon."_

"Could you force me to return?"

Eternity shook her massive head. _"Only you can choose, but you must decide quickly, the longer you remain here, the harder it will be to return to your body."_

Ali looked over at Timothy. How could she leave her friend after just being reunited?


	16. Save her!

The machine's constant pulsing acted as a lullaby, making Devon want to constantly nod off. He shook his head for the fifth time and shifted in the chair slightly. He kept Ali's hand clasped tightly in his own, almost afraid to let go.

"Devon," Dr. Pierce said, "You should get some rest."

"I'm not tired," he grunted, stifling an ill-timed yawn.

"You haven't slept since you brought her here."

"I don't need to sleep that often," Devon replied.

"I don't believe you."

Devon fixed his gaze to Dr. Pierce, looking a little more harsh than he wanted to. "I'm fine," he snapped.

Dr. Pierce looked shocked. Realizing what he had done, Devon instantly apologized to her. The lack of sleep and the concern were making him irritable and short-tempered. Silence befell the room, except for the sounds of Ali's machines keeping her alive.

Devon sighed after several minutes of silence. "I can't leave her."

"Her status has stabilized for the time being, she'll be fine for now," Dr. Pierce said. She sounded wary.

"That's not what I mean."

"Oh?"

"I can't leave her side in case she wakes up."

"We can alert you the minute she does."

"No! You don't understand. I have to be here in case she wakes up and tries to kill you!"

Once again, he hadn't meant to have an outburst, but she wasn't understanding him.

Dr. Pierce gaped at Devon in shock before moving her gaze to Ali. "What do you mean?"

"She doesn't particularly like humans too much."

"Why?"

"It's a long story, but boils down to the way she was treated when she was growing up."

"But you were treated no different, really," Dr. Pierce said, "They actually banished you!"

"I know, but I think she was born with some kind of imbalance. She has a really hard time controlling her emotions. Her mood swings can be very crazy at times."

"It seems you don't particularly enjoy putting up with her."

Devon chuckled. "There are sometimes it bothers me, but more often than not I couldn't care less."

"There must be something very special about her to get you to stand by her so faithfully."

Devon looked down at Ali's comatose form. "Yeah," he said, "You could say that." He smiled and squeezed her hand.

He felt Dr. Pierce's hand on his shoulder, but didn't react. "Please, try to get some rest," she said.

"Fine," he sighed, "I'll try."

Dr. Pierce gave a warm and gentle smile. She gave his shoulder a squeeze before moving away. Devon leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. He didn't think he'd be able to fall asleep, but within minutes he was no longer aware of the world around him.

Devon awoke to the sound of a harsh being sound and the frantic cry of nurses. When he opened his eyes he saw that his chair had been pushed away from Ali's bed, which was now surrounded by nurses.

"What's happening?" Devon asked, jumping to his feet.

Dr. Pierce appeared from within the fray and rushed to Devon's side. "She's flat-lining. We're trying to resuscitate her."

"What?"

"You had fallen asleep. I came in to check on her and found her heart monitor blinking. We're doing our best," Dr. Pierce said quickly.

Devon fought to get around her, but she kept her body firmly planted between him and Ali.

"Let me see her!"

"There's nothing you can do for her right now. You know nothing of resuscitating anyone. Stay out of the way."

Overcome with rage, Devon was not aware of what was happening until he had Dr. Pierce pressed up against the wall, his hands around her throat. He heard the shocked voices behind him, but caught sight of Dr. Pierce warding whoever it was away.

"Save her."

"Devon, I—"

"I don't need your excuses, just save her!"

_Devon! _Emery's voice shuddered through him, ripping away the anger in his chest and clearing his vision. _You are killing her,_ Emery said.

She was right. Dr. Pierce's mouth was gaping open as she struggled to breathe. Devon looked down at his hands to see her clawing at them, he hadn't realized he had been squeezing her neck so hard.

"Devon," Dr. Pierce gasped.

Devon slowly gazed up into Dr. Pierce's eyes.

"Let me go."

Her voice was stern, but gentle. She had a lot of experience dealing with grief-stricken people and knew the subtle voice cues and body language that would calm a person down. Devon's grip relaxed almost instantly and his hands fell limply to his sides.

"I promise you, we will do everything we can to save Ali's life," Dr. Pierce said, still using her gentle-stern voice.

Devon was shaking and he sank into the chair behind him. Dr. Pierce touched his shoulder affectionately and then hurried back to Ali.


	17. The End

Ali groaned as the feeling of weakness slowly subsided and she was able to straighten up. "What was that?"

_"It was the pull,"_ Eternity said, _"Your body is dying and is not going to be able to hold out much longer. If you do not make a decision soon one will be made for you."_

"I've already made my decision."

Eternity sighed and looked toward Timothy and Aglaia. An unspoken conversation was obviously taken place between the three, but Ali couldn't hear what was being said. They talked for a few minutes before Aglaia and Timothy came over to Ali's side.

_"She wants me to go back, doesn't she?"_ Ali asked.

_Yes,_ Aglaia answered.

_"Don't you understand that I can't? I spent my whole life mourning the two of you, even Hicks, and now you want me to just leave you behind?!"_

_Our time with you is over. You have a new Queen and a new life with Devon. You cannot live in the past. I love you, Ali, with all my heart, like all my other children. I do not want to see your life cut short._

Aglaia crouched down and brought her massive head to Ali's level. Letting out a soft hiss, Aglaia rubbed her head against Ali's cheek. Ali stumbled slightly, knocked off balance by the Queen's massive weight. Before she knew it, she was crying as she pressed her forehead against Aglaia's and cupped her hands underneath the Queen's chin.

"I can't," she said aloud.

Timothy hissed softly and came up behind her, brushing his forehead against Ali's back.

_Please._

Ali let out a little squeak as the foreign voice filled her head. It wasn't Aglaia talking and it hadn't been Eternity either; the voice had been male. Ali glanced over at Eternity, who pulled her lips back in a smile, then glanced back at Timothy.

_Yes_.

Ali's legs gave out under her and she fell to her knees. Timothy's voice was deep and gentle, resonating profoundly in her head. It was the most gratifying sound Ali had ever heard.

"How—?" she asked.

_"This is the afterlife,"_ Eternity answered, _"Anything is possible."_

Timothy got down on all fours and lowered himself all the way to the ground, like a cat, placing his head in Ali's lap.

_I know you want to stay with us, but I do not want to see you here before your time any more than the Queen._

_"But—"_

_Do you not care about Devon?_

_"Of course I do, but he wasn't there for me like you were. He wasn't the one who found me at the terraformer colony and first brought me to the Hive."_

_I was just looking out for my family,_ Timothy replied, _And that is what you must do now._

_You act like you will never see us again,_ Aglaia added, _But the truth is, we have never left you. We have always been by your side, watching over you from this world, caring for you every step of the way. We are so proud of you for finding someone else to fill the voids we left, but you cannot leave him in a void._

_We love you Ali. We always will, _Timothy said.

Ali rubbed her eyes as the tears finally stopped running down her cheeks. The truth of Timothy and Aglaia's words rang deep in her heart. As much as she hated to admit it, they were right; she would see them again, and the next time she did, Devon would be with her. They were also right in saying that by staying here she would just be leaving Devon in the same position she had been in when Timothy and Aglaia had been taken from her.

"You're right," she said aloud.

Eternity hissed, pleased. _"We must hurry. If there is any time left."_

Timothy lifted his head and allowed Ali to rise to her feet. He followed her lead and walked with her to the portal. Hicks and Aglaia were close behind.

Ali started with Hicks, wrapping her hands around his neck as the alien let out a soft hiss and rubbed his chin against Ali's back. Ali then moved over to Aglaia. The Queen crouched down low in order to meet Ali at eye level. Her lips pulled back in a shiny-toothed smile.

_Goodbye, my child,_ she said.

_"Goodbye."_

Finally, Ali wrapped her arms around Timothy, feeling his arms and tail wrap around her in turn. She stayed in his embrace for longer than she probably should, but she found herself not wanting to let go.

_"Ali_," Eternity's gentle voice reminded her.

_"Goodbye, my friend, I will await the day we are reunited."_

_As will I,_ Timothy replied.

He hissed as he pulled away from Ali. She stepped back from the three aliens and turned her back on them, facing the portal and the real world. Before she could ask what to do next, she felt a pull on her chest, beckoning her back to the real world. She didn't fight it and allowed the pull to start to guide her back. The world around her started to fade as she cast one last look on Eternity.

_"I had to wait until you were already returning before telling you one last thing,"_ Eternity said.

_"What are you talking about?"_

The walls, ceiling, and floor faded away from her, followed by Hicks, Aglaia, and Timothy until all that remained was Eternity's head.

_"You will not remember any of this when you awake,"_ Eternity replied, _"But you will feel your loved ones slightly more closer to you."_

Ali wanted to reply, to cry out her protest, but Eternity's head faded into darkness and she could no longer think.

* * *

><p>The flat-line monitor continued its steady tone as Dr. Pierce and her nurses removed the wires and tubes connected to Ali. There was a heaviness in the air as they moved slowly and mechanically. They never enjoyed having to clear a dead body, it always gave them the feeling of failure. Devon stood where Dr. Pierce had left him, his breath shallow as he watched them give up the fight. He wanted to scream at them, he wanted to tear them to pieces for thinking they could just give up, but he didn't move. He knew it would be futile.<p>

The nurses disappeared out of the room, carrying the crash cart with their tools with them. Dr. Pierce walked up to Devon's side and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, trying to smile, but unable to make a convincing one.

"I'm so sorry," she said.

It was only after she left the room that Devon was able to get his feet working and walk over to Ali's bed. He dropped into the chair next to the bed and clutched her hand. It already felt cold.

_Devon_, Emery said softly, but she didn't try to say anything else as she felt Devon's grief was too strong.

"I'm sorry, Ali. I'm sorry I couldn't help you. I'm sorry I let you down."

He didn't try to hold back the tears as they fell heavily down his face in thick streams. He hadn't cried like this since he had been banished to the above world. He felt like his whole world was coming down on him. Deflated and broken, he dropped his head down onto Ali's bed and wailed.

Just then, Ali's eyes flew open and she took a deep, shuddering inhale. Devon's head shot up and he actually jumped back and fell out of his chair. Ali started gasping and choking on the tube that had been inserted into her mouth. She seemed to be in a state of weakness and so was unable to pull it out, she only lay gasping, clutching her chest, struggling to breathe.

Devon finally found his voice and started screaming, "Dr. Pierce! Dr. Pierce! Hurry, get in here."

Dr. Pierce was in the room in an instant, her hands grasping her stethoscope to keep it from flying away. She was at Ali's side and started working at pulling the tube out of her throat. Ali made a gurgling, choking noise as the tube was pulled free. Even when the tube was extracted, Ali continued to gasp, but she seemed to have gained some of her lost strength as her hand had flung out and wrapped around Dr. Pierce's throat.

"Ali!" Devon cried. He managed to haul himself to his feet and reached out to grab Ali's shoulder. "Let her go!"

He was expecting more of a fight; for Ali to refuse to relinquish her grip or for her to start screaming at him. What he wasn't prepared for was for Ali's eyes to soften and for her to release the doctor's throat.

"I'm sorry," Ali said.

Dr. Pierce tried to speak, but all that came out was a gasping wheeze. Finger shaped bruises were already forming around her neck as she continued to try and catch her breath. Eventually, her breathing returned to normal and she was able to rise to her feet and give Ali a quick check over.

"You're very lucky to come back from something like that," she said.

Ali didn't respond. She hadn't made eye contact with Dr. Pierce the entire time she was looking her over and even now she refused to look up from her feet.

"Would you please give us some privacy?" Devon asked.

"Oh, yes, of course," Dr. Pierce said.

Devon waited until she stepped out of the room before turning his gaze back to Ali. He had something he wanted to take care of immediately. "We're not going to kill her."

Ali turned her gaze on him and Devon gulped a little fearfully.

"Okay," Ali said.

"What?" Devon gaped.

"I said 'okay'."

"Yeah, I heard you, but I thought you would have fought me over the issue."

Ali smiled, something else Devon was quite unfamiliar with. "I don't really know what happened to me while I was gone, but I feel different."

"You were dead," Devon said, "Maybe you had some sort of spiritual revelation."

Ali laughed. "You know how I feel about spiritual or religious crap." Then she reached out and placed her hand on top of Devon's. "Besides, I think you're the reason."

"Me?"

"You saved my life, twice now, and I am grateful for that. After all I've done to you, after all the abuse I've put you through, you still came through for me when I needed you most. And I will never forget that."

"Okay, seriously, what happened to you?"

Ali laughed. "I would have thought you'd be ecstatic to hear me say that."

"I am, but—"

"Don't say anything," Ali said.

She leaned forward and put her hands on either side of Devon's face. Then she kissed him. It was a gentle kiss, yet there was so much passion and love in it and Devon returned it happily. When Ali pulled away, she stared deep into Devon's eyes, a kind smile on her lips.

"Let's go home," she said.


End file.
